A monochromatic light of frequency travelling through air, is incident on a medium of refractive index ''. Wavelength of the refracted light will be :
- A
- B
- C
- D
A monochromatic light of frequency travelling through air, is incident on a medium of refractive index ''. Wavelength of the refracted light will be :
Correct answer:A
Standard Method
Given: frequency , refractive index , and speed of light in air approximately .
Find: the wavelength of refracted light in the medium.
The frequency of light remains unchanged when it passes from one medium to another.
First, find the wavelength in air:
Now use the relation between wavelength in air and wavelength in the medium:
Substituting the values:
Therefore, the wavelength of the refracted light is . The correct option is A.
Direct Formula Method
Given: , , and .
Find: wavelength in the medium.
Use
and for a medium,
So,
Hence,
Substitute the values:
Convert to nanometres:
Therefore, the wavelength of the refracted light is .
Using frequency to change across media is incorrect because frequency remains constant when light enters another medium. Only speed and wavelength change. Always keep unchanged and recalculate wavelength from the new speed.
Using is wrong because refractive index reduces the wavelength in the denser medium. The correct relation is .
Making an error in unit conversion from metres to nanometres leads to the wrong option. Since , carefully convert to .
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