In the context of diffraction, what does the term 'angular width' refer to?
Practice Questions
Q1
In the context of diffraction, what does the term 'angular width' refer to?
The angle between the first and second minima
The angle of incidence
The angle of reflection
The angle of diffraction
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In the context of diffraction, what does the term 'angular width' refer to?
Correct Answer: Angular width is the angle between the first and second minima in a diffraction pattern.
Step 1: Understand that diffraction is a phenomenon that occurs when waves, like light, pass through a small opening or around an obstacle.
Step 2: When light diffracts, it creates a pattern of bright and dark areas called a diffraction pattern.
Step 3: In this pattern, the dark areas are called minima, where the light intensity is very low or zero.
Step 4: The 'angular width' is the measurement of the angle between the first dark area (first minimum) and the second dark area (second minimum) in the diffraction pattern.
Step 5: This angle helps us understand how spread out the diffraction pattern is.
