If the distance between the slits in a double-slit experiment is increased, what

Practice Questions

Q1
If the distance between the slits in a double-slit experiment is increased, what happens to the interference pattern?
  1. Fringe width increases
  2. Fringe width decreases
  3. Fringe intensity increases
  4. Fringe intensity decreases

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

If the distance between the slits in a double-slit experiment is increased, what happens to the interference pattern?
  • 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.
  • Double-Slit Experiment – A fundamental experiment in wave optics demonstrating the wave nature of light through the creation of an interference pattern.
  • Fringe Width – The distance between adjacent bright or dark fringes in an interference pattern, which is affected by the distance between the slits.
  • Inverse Proportionality – The relationship where an increase in one quantity results in a decrease in another, specifically how fringe width is inversely proportional to slit separation.
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