In a double-slit experiment, if the distance between the slits is 0.5 mm and the
Practice Questions
Q1
In a double-slit experiment, if the distance between the slits is 0.5 mm and the distance to the screen is 2 m, what is the distance between the first and second bright fringes if the wavelength of light used is 500 nm?
0.5 cm
1 cm
1.5 cm
2 cm
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a double-slit experiment, if the distance between the slits is 0.5 mm and the distance to the screen is 2 m, what is the distance between the first and second bright fringes if the wavelength of light used is 500 nm?
Step 1: Identify the given values from the problem. The distance between the slits (d) is 0.5 mm, the distance to the screen (D) is 2 m, and the wavelength of light (λ) is 500 nm.
Step 2: Convert all measurements to meters for consistency. 0.5 mm = 0.5 x 10^-3 m and 500 nm = 500 x 10^-9 m.
Step 3: Use the formula for fringe separation, which is y = (λD) / d.
Step 4: Substitute the values into the formula: y = (500 x 10^-9 m * 2 m) / (0.5 x 10^-3 m).
Step 5: Calculate the numerator: 500 x 10^-9 m * 2 m = 1000 x 10^-9 m = 1 x 10^-6 m.
Step 6: Calculate the denominator: 0.5 x 10^-3 m = 0.0005 m.
Step 7: Now divide the numerator by the denominator: (1 x 10^-6 m) / (0.0005 m) = 2 x 10^-3 m.
Step 8: Convert the result from meters to centimeters: 2 x 10^-3 m = 2 cm.