Resolving power and the Rayleigh criterion
Two stars seen through a circular aperture give overlapping Airy discs; they are just resolved when separated by 1.22 lambda/D.
About this experiment
| Subject | Physics |
|---|---|
| Class | 12 |
| Chapter | 10. Wave Optics |
| NCERT section | 10.5 |
| Level | Advanced (JEE / Olympiad) |
| Time | about 14 minutes |
| Access | Included in a PractiSci plan |
What you do in the lab
Change the controls and watch the physics behave in real time in 3D. Live readouts and graphs show the numbers behind it, and the Learn tab has the theory, procedure, observations and viva questions. Works on a phone or a laptop, in English and Hindi.
Topics: Rayleigh criterion · Airy disc · resolving power · telescope
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- Single slit diffraction
- Thin film interference: soap film, oil film and anti-reflection coating
- Young's double slit experiment