In a double-slit experiment, if the screen is moved further away from the slits, what happens to the fringe separation? (2019)
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In a double-slit experiment, if the screen is moved further away from the slits, what happens to the fringe separation? (2019)
Increases
Decreases
Remains the same
Becomes zero
Moving the screen further away increases the fringe separation, as fringe width β = λD/d; increasing D increases β.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: In a double-slit experiment, if the screen is moved further away from the slits, what happens to the fringe separation? (2019)
Solution: Moving the screen further away increases the fringe separation, as fringe width β = λD/d; increasing D increases β.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand the double-slit experiment. It involves light passing through two slits and creating a pattern of bright and dark lines (fringes) on a screen.
Step 2: Identify the key variables in the formula for fringe width (separation): β = λD/d.
Step 3: Recognize that λ (lambda) is the wavelength of the light, D is the distance from the slits to the screen, and d is the distance between the two slits.
Step 4: Note that if we move the screen further away, we are increasing the value of D.
Step 5: Understand that according to the formula, if D increases while λ and d remain constant, the fringe width β will also increase.
Step 6: Conclude that moving the screen further away results in greater fringe separation.
