Some useful constants and formulae

c = 2.9979 108 m / s
0 = 8.85 1012 F / m

Speed of light
Permittivity constant

G = 6.67 1011 N m 2 / kg 2
0 = 1.26 106 H / m

Gravitational constant
Permeability constant

Plancks constant
h = 6.63 x 10-34 J.s = 4.14 x 10-15 eV.s
atomic mass m(11H) =1.007825 u

Near point PN = 25 cm

e = 1.60 x 10-19 C
me = 9.11 x 10-31 kg = 0.000549 u
mp = 1.6726 x 10-27 kg = 1.00728 u
mN = 1.6749 x 10-27 kg = 1.008665 u

1 u = 1.6605 x 10-27 kg = 931.5 MeV/c2

1eV = 1.602 x 10-19 J
hc = 1240 eV nm

Transverse Waves:

y ( x, t ) = ym sin(kx t )

k=

2
= 2 f
T

v=

=f =

Electromagnetic Waves:

E ( x , t ) = E m sin( kx t )
Erms =
S=

Em
2
1

c=

EB =

0 0
I=

E2

Total internal reflection

r 1 r r
S=
EB

c0
1
Unpolarized Light: I = I 0
2
'
Law of reflection 1 = 1

I=

2
Erms

c 0

Psource
4 r 2

Fully Polarized Light:

I = I 0 cos 2

Snells Law n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2

c = sin 1

pc =

Total Absorption

Em
=c
Bm

B ( x, t ) = Bm sin( kx t )

n2
n1

Brewster angle

I
c

n2
n1
2I
pr =
c

B = tan 1

Total Reflection

Mirrors and Lenses:

Spherical Mirrors/Thin Lenses:

1 1 1
+ =
p i f

r
2
n1 n2 n2 n1
Refracting Surface:
+ =
p i
r
Spherical Mirrors:

m = PN/f

microscope

m = - [l PN]/fobfey

telescope

m = - fob/fey

n =

Constructive Interference:

i
p

f =

c
v
magnifier
n=

m=

i=

n2
p
n1

2 L

L = d sin = m ,

( n2 n1 )

m = 0,1, 2,...

2L

L = d sin = m +
2

2
Intensity in double-slit interference I = 4 I 0 cos
2
1

Interference from thin films: Maxima: 2 L = m +

2 n2

m = 0, 1, 2,...

Destructive Interference:

2 d

sin

Minima:

2L = m

n2

Single-slit Diffraction:

sin
I ( ) = I m
,

2

Minima a sin = m

Intensity

where =

a
sin

Resolvability:

Resolving angle
Resolving power

= 1.22/a
RP = L

circular aperture = 1.22/D

Resolving power for microscope (telescope) RP = 1.22 f/D

Double-slit Diffraction:

a
d
sin
I ( ) = I m (cos )
sin and =
sin
, where =

Diffraction gratings:
Half-width of line hw =

Nd cos

Maxima lines d sin = m