If two coherent sources of light are in phase, what will be the result at a poin

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Question: If two coherent sources of light are in phase, what will be the result at a point where the path difference is λ/2?

Options:

Correct Answer: Destructive interference

Solution:

A path difference of λ/2 results in destructive interference, as the waves will be out of phase.

If two coherent sources of light are in phase, what will be the result at a point where the path difference is λ/2?

If two coherent sources of light are in phase, what will be the result at a point where the path difference is λ/2?

Step 1: Understand what 'coherent sources' means. Coherent sources are two light sources that emit waves with a constant phase difference and the same frequency.
Step 2: Know what 'in phase' means. When two waves are in phase, their peaks and troughs align perfectly.
Step 3: Learn about 'path difference'. Path difference is the difference in distance traveled by two waves to reach a point.
Step 4: Identify the given path difference. In this case, the path difference is λ/2, where λ (lambda) is the wavelength of the light.
Step 5: Understand the concept of interference. When two waves meet, they can interfere with each other, leading to constructive or destructive interference.
Step 6: Determine the type of interference for a path difference of λ/2. A path difference of λ/2 means that one wave is half a wavelength ahead of the other, causing them to be out of phase.
Step 7: Conclude that out of phase waves lead to destructive interference. This means that the waves will cancel each other out at that point.

Interference of Light Waves – The phenomenon where two coherent light waves superpose to form a resultant wave, which can be constructive or destructive depending on their phase relationship.
Path Difference – The difference in distance traveled by two waves from their sources to a common point, which determines the type of interference.
Phase Relationship – The alignment of the peaks and troughs of waves; in-phase means peaks align with peaks, while out-of-phase means peaks align with troughs.