Newton's rings

Fig. 1: Newton's rings observed through a microscope. The smallest increments on the superimposed scale are 100μm. The illumination is from below, leading to a bright central region.
Fig. 2: Newton's rings interference pattern created by a plano-convex lens illuminated by 650 nm red laser light, photographed using a low-light microscope. The illumination is from above, leading to a dark central region.
Fig. 3: Arrangement to view Newton's Rings: a convex lens is placed on top of a flat surface.

Newton's rings is a phenomenon in which an interference pattern is created by the reflection of light between two surfaces, typically a spherical surface and an adjacent touching flat surface. It is named after Isaac Newton, who investigated the effect in 1666. When viewed with monochromatic light, Newton's rings appear as a series of concentric, alternating bright and dark rings centered at the point of contact between the two surfaces. When viewed with white light, it forms a concentric ring pattern of rainbow colors because the different wavelengths of light interfere at different thicknesses of the air layer between the surfaces.


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