In a two-slit interference pattern, if the intensity at the center is I0, what is the intensity at the first minimum?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
In a two-slit interference pattern, if the intensity at the center is I0, what is the intensity at the first minimum?
0
I0
I0/2
I0/4
At the first minimum, the intensity is 0 due to destructive interference.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: In a two-slit interference pattern, if the intensity at the center is I0, what is the intensity at the first minimum?
Solution: At the first minimum, the intensity is 0 due to destructive interference.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand that in a two-slit interference pattern, light waves from two slits can combine.
Step 2: Know that when the waves from the two slits meet, they can either add together (constructive interference) or cancel each other out (destructive interference).
Step 3: The center of the pattern is where the waves from both slits are perfectly in sync, resulting in maximum intensity, which is I0.
Step 4: The first minimum occurs where the waves from the two slits are out of sync by half a wavelength, causing them to cancel each other out.
Step 5: Since the waves cancel each other out at the first minimum, the intensity at this point is 0.
