PhysicsLAB Practice Problems
Thin Film Interference Glass Coating

Topics: On this worksheet you will be investigating the basic properties of thin film interference revealed in different thicknesses of film on glass.

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Question 1  A thin film, n = 1.38, uniformly covers the top of a glass plate, n = 1.62. If the medium above the film is air, at which of the interfaces (air-film and film-glass) does the light undergo a 180° phase change upon reflection?
Question 2  What is the wavelength of blue, 491-nm light as it travels through the film?
Question 3  At what minimum non-zero thickness of the film will the intensity of the blue light reflected back into the air be a maximum?
Question 4  At what minimum non-zero thickness of the film will the intensity of the same blue light reflected back into the air be a minimum, or experience destructive interference?
Question 5  In general, when blue light is removed from white light, the film would appear to be which color?
Question 6  What is the frequency of the blue light as it travels through the film?
Question 7  If the glass plate is 28 centimeters thick, how many seconds would be required for the transmitted beam to travel through the glass?


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