The feathers of a hummingbird have an iridescent color due to interference. A si

Question

The feathers of a hummingbird have an iridescent color due to interference. A simplified model of the step structure of the feather is shown in the figure below. If the strongest reflection for normal incidence is at ? = 441 nm, what is the step height h? Assume h has the smallest possible value.

___ nm

The feathers of a hummingbird have an iridescent color due to interference. A simplified model of the step structure of the feather is shown in the figure below. If the strongest reflection for normal incidence is at ? = 441 nm, what is the step height h? Assume h has the smallest possible value. ___ nm

Explanation / Answer

The path difference must be an integer multiple of the wavelength,

m * wavelength = n_air d

If m = 1, wavelength = 441 nm, n_air = 1, then

d = 441 nm   [ANSWER]

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