If the distance between the slits in a double-slit experiment is increased, what happens to the interference pattern?

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Q: If the distance between the slits in a double-slit experiment is increased, what happens to the interference pattern?

Solution: Increasing the distance between the slits decreases the fringe width, as fringe width is inversely proportional to the slit separation.

Steps: 6

Step 1: Understand what a double-slit experiment is. It involves light passing through two closely spaced slits, creating an interference pattern on a screen.
Step 2: Know that the interference pattern consists of bright and dark stripes called fringes.
Step 3: Recognize that the distance between the slits is called slit separation.
Step 4: Learn that fringe width is the distance between two consecutive bright or dark fringes.
Step 5: Understand the relationship: as the distance between the slits increases, the fringe width decreases.
Step 6: Conclude that increasing the slit separation makes the fringes closer together, resulting in a more compact interference pattern.