1) Consider the Michelson interferometer shown in the figure below. One of the beams of the interferometer passes through a small, evacuated glass container 1.155 cm deep. When a gas is allowed to slowly fill the container, a total of 176 dark fringes are counted to move past a reference line. The light used has a wavelength of 632.8 nm. Calculate the index of refraction of the gas at its final density, assuming that the interferometer is in vacuum. Hint: This problem is related to optical path difference. As the tube is filled with gas, the refractive index of the medium in the tube changes slowly and this causes the interference pattern to shift. This is the scenario. To mirror M₁ Glass container Source Ms M2 1.155 cm

1) Consider the Michelson interferometer shown in the figure below. One of the beams of the interferometer passes through a small, evacuated glass container 1.155 cm deep. When a gas is allowed to slowly fill the container, a total of 176 dark fringes are counted to move past a reference line. The light used has a wavelength of 632.8 nm. Calculate the index of refraction of the gas at its final density, assuming that the interferometer is in vacuum. Hint: This problem is related to optical path difference. As the tube is filled with gas, the refractive index of the medium in the tube changes slowly and this causes the interference pattern to shift. This is the scenario. To mirror M₁ Glass container Source Ms M2 1.155 cm