What is the main reason for the appearance of a diffraction pattern when light passes through a narrow slit?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the main reason for the appearance of a diffraction pattern when light passes through a narrow slit?
Interference of light waves
Refraction of light
Absorption of light
Reflection of light
The diffraction pattern arises due to the interference of light waves that spread out after passing through the slit.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: What is the main reason for the appearance of a diffraction pattern when light passes through a narrow slit?
Solution: The diffraction pattern arises due to the interference of light waves that spread out after passing through the slit.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand that light behaves like a wave.
Step 2: When light hits a narrow slit, it cannot pass straight through without spreading out.
Step 3: This spreading out of light waves is called diffraction.
Step 4: As the light waves spread, they overlap with each other.
Step 5: When these overlapping waves meet, they can either add together (constructive interference) or cancel each other out (destructive interference).
Step 6: The result of this adding and canceling creates a pattern of light and dark areas, known as a diffraction pattern.
