Lab Manual

B.Tech – I
Physics Laboratory
“Determining Wavelength of Spectral
Lines with Plane Transmission Grating
by Minimum Deviation Method”
Objective: To determine the wavelength of different spectral lines of mercury light with a plane
transmission grating by minimum deviation method.

Apparatus required: Spectrometer, diffraction grating of known grating element, mercury

lamp, a reading lens and spirit level

Description of apparatus
Spectrophotometer:
This is an arrangement for producing pure spectrum. The essential parts of a spectrometer include
collimator, grating table, and a telescope (See figure 1).

Figure 1: Spectrometer arrangement

(a) Collimator: The collimator provides a narrow parallel beam of light. It consists of a horizontal,
cylindrical, metallic tube fitted with an achromatic convergent lens at one end and a short coaxial
tube at the other end. The short coaxial tube is provided with a vertical slit of adjustable width at the
outer end, can be moved inside the main tube with the help of a rack and pinion arrangement. The
slit is illuminated by the source of light, whose spectrum is to be examined and the distance
between the slit and the convergent lens is so adjusted that the slit lies in the first focal plane of the
lens. Under this condition, the rays of light emerging from the collimator are parallel. Usually in a
spectrometer, the Collimator is rigidly fixed with its axis horizontal, but in same instrument it can be
rotated about the vertical axis passing through the center of instrument.

(b) Grating Table

It is a circular table supported horizontally on a vertical rod at the center of the spectrometer. It can
be rotated independently of the collimator and telescope about the vertical axis passing through the
instrument’s center of a circular scale graduated in half degrees carried by the telescope. The
rotation of the grating table can be read with the help of two diametrically opposite verniers
attached to it and sliding over the circular scale. The grating table can be clamped with the help of a
clamping screw and then a fine rotation can be given to it with the help of a tangent screw provided
at the base. The grating table can be raised or lowered and maybe clamped at any desired height
with the help of a clamping screw provided for it. It is also provided with the three levelling screws
so that the refracting faces of the grating can be adjusted parallel to the axis of instrument.
Concentrating circles and straight lines parallel to the line joining any two of the levelling screws are
drawn on the surface of the grating table, which help in placing the grating in proper position during
the experiment.

(c) Telescope

It is simple astronomical telescope and consists of a horizontal, cylindrical metallic tube fitted with
an achromatic convergent lens (called the objective) at one end and a short coaxial tube called
eyepiece tube at the end. The eyepiece tube (provided with the cross-wires and Ramsden eyepiece)
can be moved inside the main tube with the help of rack and pinion arrangement. Pulling or pushing
the eyepiece in eyepiece tube by hand can also change the distance between the cross-wires and
the eyepiece. Thus the telescope can be adjusted to receive parallel rays and to form a clear image
upon the cross-wires, which are distinctly visible through the eyepiece. The telescope can be rotated
about the central axis of the instrument. It is also provided with a clamping and a tangent screw at
the base by which a slow rotation can be given to it. The main circular scale is attached with the
telescope so that when the telescope is rotated, the main circular scale also rotates with it. The
angle, through which the telescope is rotated, can be measured by reading the positions of the
verniers attached to the grating table and sliding over the main scale.

Plane Transmission Grating

An arrangement, which is equivalents in its action to a large number of parallel slits of same width
separated by equal opaque spaces is called diffraction grating. It is constructed by ruling fine
equidistant parallel lines on an optically plane glass plate with the help of a sharp diamond point.
The gratings used in the laboratory are usually replica gratings made from the original grating. The
number of ruled lines in a grating varies from 15000 to 30000 per inch and the ruled surface varies
from 2” to 6”.

Grating Element
The distance between the centers of any two consecutive ruled lines or transparent spaces acting as
a slit is called grating element. For example, let e be the width of the transparent space and d be the
width of ruled space, then the grating element = (e + d)

Measurement of angles with the help of spectrometer

The spectrometer scales are angle measuring utilities for the positions of the telescope which can be
rotated about the central axis of the instrument. The main circular scale is attached with the
telescope so that when the telescope is rotated, the main circular scale also rotates with it. The
angle through which the telescope is rotated, can be measured by reading the positions of the
verniers attached to the grating table and sliding over the mail scale. In a spectrometer there are
two sets of main circular scales (fitted with the telescope) and Vernier scale (attached with grating
table). Both sets are diagonally (left hand and right hand sides) fixed in the instrument and measures
angle for a particular telescope position with a difference of 180 degrees. These scales can be used
in a similar manner as a simple Vernier Calliper or traveling microscope is used. The Vernier calliper
or traveling microscope is used to measure small distances (in centimeters and fractions) whereas
spectrometer scales are used to measure small angular displacements (in degrees, minutes, and
seconds). 1 degree is equal to 60 minutes and 1 minute is equal to 60 seconds.

Least count of the Spectrometer Scale

(i) 60 divisions of Vernier scale are equal to 59 divisions of the main scale.

(ii) Value of one division of circular main scale = 0.5° = 30’ (as 1° = 60’)

(iii) Least Count of spectrometer scale = Value of 1 div. of main scale – value of 1 div. of Vernier

= 0.5° - [(59/60) x 0.5]° = [0.5 x 1/60]° = 0.5’ = 30’’ (seconds)

Minimum Deviation Method

Theory: Let a beam of light of wavelength ‘λ’ which is incident making an angle ‘i’ with the normal to
the plane of the diffraction grating be diffracted through an angle ′𝜽′ (Figure 2).

Figure 2

The path difference between the diffracted rays from consecutive points (i.e., from A and C) of
transparent spaces

= LC+CM = 𝑒 + 𝑑 (𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑖 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃) ……………………………..(1)

Where, AC = 𝑒 + 𝑑 is the grating element.

Now for the nth order spectrum, the condition is given by

(𝑒 + 𝑑) ( 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑖 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃) = 𝑛𝜆 ………………………………….(2)

Or, 2 (𝑒 + 𝑑) {𝑠𝑖𝑛 [(𝑖+𝜃)/2)] } {𝑐𝑜𝑠[ (𝑖−𝜃)/ 2]} = 𝑛𝜆

{𝑠𝑖𝑛 [(𝑖+𝜃)/2)] } = 𝑛𝜆 / {2 (𝑒+𝑑) 𝑐𝑜𝑠[ (𝑖−𝜃)/ 2]}

 or, s𝑖𝑛 𝐷/ 2 = 𝑛𝜆 / {2 (𝑒+𝑑) 𝑐𝑜𝑠[ (𝑖−𝜃)/ 2]}

where, D = Angle of deviation = 𝑖 + 𝜃

The value of 𝑠𝑖𝑛 (𝑖+𝜃)/ 2 is minimum when 𝑐𝑜𝑠 (𝑖−𝜃)/ 2 is maximum i.e., when 𝑖 = 𝜃

If Dm is the angle of minimum deviation of the diffracted beam from its original path, then

Dm= 𝑖 + 𝜃 = 2𝑖 (since i = 𝜃 at minimum deviation).

When the grating is used in the minimum deviation position, the eqn. (2) gives

2 (𝑒 + 𝑑) [𝑠𝑖𝑛 (𝐷𝑚 /2)] = 𝑛𝜆

Or, (2 ×2.54 /𝑁) [sin (𝐷𝑚 /2)] = 𝑛𝜆 ……………………..(3)

where 𝑁 is the total number of lines per inch on the grating.

Procedure
The whole experiment is divided into two parts

(I) Adjustments
(II) Measurement of the diffraction angle θ

(I) Adjustments

Before doing any measurement with the spectrometer, the following adjustments must be made in a
given sequence

(a) The optical axes of the telescope and collimator should be perpendicular to the axis of rotation
of the turn table and should meet it at the same point.

(b) The telescope should be focused for parallel rays.

(c) The collimator should be adjusted for rendering the rays from the illuminated slit parallel (Figure
3).

Figure 3
(II) Measurement of the Angle of Minimum Deviation:

(i) The turn table is rotated (carrying the grating) in a direction such that the spectrum of the first
order moves towards the direct image of the slit. The telescope is moved to follow the spectrum of
the slit in the field of view. A stage is reached when the spectrum becomes stationary for a moment
and then reverses the direction of motion though the turn table is rotated in the same direction. The
turn table and the telescope are clamped in the minimum deviation position. Since 𝜃 is different for
different spectral lines, the grating is to be set in the minimum deviation position separately for
different lines of the spectrum. The slit is made narrow and the telescope is adjusted (with the
tangent screw) so that on rotating the turn table the chosen spectral line (say, red) just comes in
coincidence with the vertical cross-wire. The grating is now set accurately in the minimum deviation
position. The readings of both the verniers are noted for this position of the telescope. Similar
readings are taken for other spectral lines.

(ii) For the same spectral lines of the same order of the spectrum, the corresponding readings of the
Verniers are recorded on the other side of the direct image after adjusting the grating in the
minimum deviation position. The difference in the readings of the same Vernier for the two
positions (one left and another right of the direct image) gives twice the angle of minimum
deviation. The mean value of Dm is calculated.

Observations: Readings for the determination of Dm

Least Count of the spectrometer = ………………. Sec

Results
The wavelength of red line of the spectrum (correct to significant figures) given out of neon lamp
= (………….. ± Maximum Probable Error) A.U.

The wavelength of yellow line of the spectrum (correct to significant figures) given out of neon lamp
= (………….. ± Maximum Probable Error) A.U.

The wavelength of green line of the spectrum (correct to significant figures) given out of neon lamp
= (………….. ± Maximum Probable Error) A.U.
Superiority of Minimum deviation method over normal incidence method:
(i) It is easier to adjust the grating in the position of minimum deviation than in the case of normal
incidence.

(ii) (e+d) (sin 𝜃+ sin i)= n𝜆

or 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝛿𝜃 + cos 𝑖 𝛿𝑖 = 0 ∴ 𝛿𝜃 = −𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑖 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝜃. 𝛿𝑖

For normal incidence, 𝑖 = 0 and cos 𝑖 = 1

Hence , 𝛿 𝜃 = −𝑠𝑒𝑐𝜃 𝛿𝑖

The grating cannot be set exactly with its surface normal to the incident beam and as such, an error
𝛿𝑖 in ‘i’ will cause a large error in the measurement of the angle of diffraction (hence, 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝜃 > 1). But
a little departure of the grating from the minimum deviation position does not very much affect the
measured angle of minimum deviation.

(iii) The spectrum obtained in the position of minimum deviation is very accurate.

Source of Errors and Precautions:

(i) The telescope must be so adjusted as to receive parallel rays and form a well-defined image of the
slit on the crosswire.

(ii) The Grating table must be optically levelled.

(iii) The slit should be as narrow as possible and parallel to the ruled surface of the grating.

(iv) While handle the grating one should not touch its faces but hold it between the thumb and the
fingers by edges only.

(v) While taking the observations of the spectral lines, the grating table must be clamped.