Physics: Principles with Applications (7th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-32162-592-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-32162-592-2

Chapter 24 - The Wave Nature of Light - Problems - Page 710: 59

Answer

$1.00433$

Work Step by Step

We have 158 dark fringes shift, and we know that one fringe shift corresponds to a $\lambda$ path length change. In our case, the length of the glass container does not change but the number of wavelengths does. The length of the container is $L$, so the number of wavelengths when it is empty (vacuumed) is given by $$N_{1}=\dfrac{L}{\lambda}$$ and the number of wavelengths when it is filled with gas is given by $$N_{2}=\dfrac{L}{\lambda_{n_{gass}}}=\dfrac{Ln_{gas}}{\lambda}$$ We know that the light moves inside the container twice forth and back when reflected from the mirror; so the number of dark fringes shifts is given by $$N=158=2\left[N_2-N_1\right]$$ Plugging from the previous two formulas; $$158=2\left[\dfrac{Ln_{gas}}{\lambda}-\dfrac{L }{\lambda}\right]$$ Solving for $n_{gas}$; $$\dfrac{158}{2}= \dfrac{Ln_{gas}}{\lambda}-\dfrac{L }{\lambda}=\dfrac{L(n_{gas}-1)}{\lambda} $$ Thus, $$n_{gas}=\dfrac{158\lambda}{2L}+1 $$ Plugging the known; $$n_{gas}=\dfrac{158\times 632.8\times 10^{-9}}{2\times 1.155\times 10^{-2}}+1 =\color{red}{\bf 1.00433} $$
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