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In Young’s experiment, if the amplitude ...

In Young’s experiment, if the amplitude of interferring waves are unequal then the :

A

contrast in the fringes decreases

B

contrast in the fringes increase

C

number of fringes will increase

D

number of frings will decrease

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The correct Answer is:
To solve the question regarding Young's experiment and the effect of unequal amplitudes of interfering waves, we can follow these steps: ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Understanding the Concept of Intensity**: - In wave optics, the intensity (I) of a wave is directly proportional to the square of its amplitude (A). This can be expressed as: \[ I \propto A^2 \] 2. **Identifying the Amplitudes**: - Let the amplitudes of the two interfering waves be \( A_1 \) and \( A_2 \). The corresponding intensities will be: \[ I_1 = k A_1^2 \quad \text{and} \quad I_2 = k A_2^2 \] where \( k \) is a proportionality constant. 3. **Calculating Maximum and Minimum Intensities**: - The maximum intensity \( I_{max} \) when the waves interfere constructively is given by: \[ I_{max} = I_1 + I_2 = k A_1^2 + k A_2^2 \] - The minimum intensity \( I_{min} \) when the waves interfere destructively is given by: \[ I_{min} = |I_1 - I_2| = |k A_1^2 - k A_2^2| \] 4. **Determining Contrast**: - The contrast (C) of the interference pattern can be defined as the ratio of maximum intensity to minimum intensity: \[ C = \frac{I_{max}}{I_{min}} = \frac{k(A_1^2 + A_2^2)}{|k(A_1^2 - A_2^2)|} \] - This simplifies to: \[ C = \frac{A_1^2 + A_2^2}{|A_1^2 - A_2^2|} \] 5. **Analyzing the Effect of Unequal Amplitudes**: - If \( A_1 \) and \( A_2 \) are unequal, \( |A_1^2 - A_2^2| \) will be a non-zero value, leading to a finite contrast. - The greater the difference in amplitudes, the lower the contrast, as the minimum intensity will be significantly less than the maximum intensity. 6. **Conclusion**: - Therefore, if the amplitudes of the interfering waves are unequal, the contrast in the interference pattern decreases. ### Final Answer: If the amplitudes of the interfering waves are unequal, the contrast in the interference pattern decreases.
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