What is the relationship between the wavelength of light and the angle of diffra
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the relationship between the wavelength of light and the angle of diffraction in a diffraction grating?
Longer wavelengths diffract less
Longer wavelengths diffract more
Wavelength has no effect
Only the slit width matters
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the relationship between the wavelength of light and the angle of diffraction in a diffraction grating?
Correct Answer: Longer wavelengths lead to larger angles of diffraction.
Step 1: Understand what a diffraction grating is. It is a tool that spreads light into its different colors (wavelengths).
Step 2: Know that light travels in waves, and each color of light has a different wavelength. For example, red light has a longer wavelength than blue light.
Step 3: When light hits the diffraction grating, it bends or 'diffracts' at different angles depending on its wavelength.
Step 4: Realize that longer wavelengths (like red light) bend more than shorter wavelengths (like blue light).
Step 5: Conclude that because longer wavelengths diffract more, they create larger angles of diffraction when passing through the grating.
