NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Physics, Chapter 10 - Wave Optics

In this chapter, you’ll study about Wave Optics. Every time we wear sunglasses to protect ourselves from heat, or clicking photographs from a camera, we use the phenomenon of Wave Optics. What are the waves? Waves are disturbances in any physical medium resulting in vibrations. Basic properties of waves are wavelength, frequency and amplitude. It was believed that light is nothing but a wave phenomenon only when Thomas Young performed his interference experiment in 1801. It was then; the concept of geometrical optics came into existence. Further, Maxwell proposed that light is not just a wave, but an electromagnetic wave as it is linked with the dynamic magnetic and electric fields.

In this chapter, you’ll study about Huygens Principle, Refraction and Reflection of Plane Waves using Huygens Principle, the Doppler Effect, Coherent and Incoherent Addition of Waves, Interference of Light Waves and Young’s Experiment, what is diffraction, the validity of ray optics, the concept of polarisation by scattering and reflection.

Thus, an in-depth study of Class 12 Physics NCERT Solutions Chapter 10 will give you a good understanding of significant aspects of Wave Optics.

Let’s take a look at topics and sub-topics of Class 12 Physics Chapter 10 – Wave Optics

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Huygens Principle

10.3 Refraction and Reflection of Plane Waves using Huygens Principle

10.3.1 Refraction of a plane wave

10.3.2 Refraction at a rarer medium

10.3.3 Reflection of a plane wave by a plane surface

10.3.4 The Doppler Effect

10.4 Coherent and Incoherent Addition of Waves

10.5 Interference of Light Waves and Young’s Experiment

10.6 Diffraction

10.6.1 The single slit

10.6.2 Seeing the single slit diffraction pattern

10.6.3 Resolving power of optical instruments

10.6.4 The validity of ray optics

10.7 Polarisation

10.7.1 Polarisation by scattering

10.7.2 Polarisation by reflection

In Class 12 Physics Chapter 10, you will learn – 

Section 10.2 – In this section, you will study about Huygens Principle in detail. You’ll also learn related terms like wavefront, the surface of constant phase, spherical wave, plane wave and finally study the diagram showing Huygens geometrical construction for a plane wave propagating to the right.

Section 10.3 – In this section, you’ll acquire knowledge about refraction and reflection of plane waves using Huygens Principle such as refraction of a plane wave, refraction at a rarer medium, reflection of a plane wave by a plane surface and also the famous Doppler effect. You’ll also come across related terms like Law of refraction, Law of reflection, critical angle, total internal reflection, blue shift and redshift.

Section 10.4 – In this section, you’ll learn about Coherent and Incoherent Addition of Waves, what superposition principle is all about, constructive interference, destructive interference, and more.

Section 10.5 – In this section, you will study about Interference of Light Waves and Young’s Experiment, important observations made by the British physicist Thomas Young and a diagram showing Young’s arrangement to produce interference pattern.

Section 10.6 – In this section, you’ll learn what Diffraction is all about? You’ll also acquire knowledge about the single slit, seeing the single slit diffraction pattern and resolving power of optical instruments and the validity of ray optics.

Section 10.7 – In this section, you’ll learn about polarisation, transverse wave, plane polarised wave, what are polaroids and what do polaroids consist of, uses of polaroids in sunglasses, windowpanes, photographic cameras and 3D movie cameras.

In this chapter, you are provided with several examples with their solutions for a clear understanding of Wave Optics. To know more about NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Physics Chapter 10, you should explore the exercises mentioned in this chapter. You can also download the NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Physics Chapter 10 PDF, solved by our science experts.