Moderate

The fringes in Michelson interferometer are formed due to

Correct answer: B. Interference

  • A. Diffraction
  • B. Interference
  • C. Polarization
  • D. None of these

Explanation

The correct answer is interference. In a Michelson interferometer, light from a single source is split into two beams, which travel different paths before being recombined. The slight path difference causes the light waves to interfere with each other, creating a pattern of bright and dark fringes. Diffraction, on the other hand, is related to light bending around obstacles, and polarization relates to the orientation of light waves, neither of which are responsible for the fringe formation here. Thus, the correct answer is interference, not diffraction, polarization, or 'none of these'.

Last updated

About Optics

Light is studied through reflection, refraction, dispersion, interference, diffraction and polarization, linking ray behavior with its wave nature. Questions may involve mirrors, lenses, optical instruments, refractive index and image formation, while geometrical optics deals with rays and wave optics explains effects such as interference and diffraction.

Practise Optics

665 free Optics MCQs from Physics, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.

Exams that ask Physics questions like this

Physics is on 7 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.

Related questions