Question: What happens to the diffraction pattern when the slit width is decreased?
Options:
Pattern becomes wider
Pattern becomes narrower
No change in pattern
Pattern disappears
Correct Answer: Pattern becomes wider
Solution:
Decreasing the slit width increases the diffraction angle, causing the diffraction pattern to become wider.
What happens to the diffraction pattern when the slit width is decreased?
Practice Questions
Q1
What happens to the diffraction pattern when the slit width is decreased?
Pattern becomes wider
Pattern becomes narrower
No change in pattern
Pattern disappears
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What happens to the diffraction pattern when the slit width is decreased?
Step 1: Understand what diffraction is. Diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles or through openings.
Step 2: Know that a slit is an opening through which waves (like light) pass.
Step 3: Recognize that the width of the slit affects how the waves spread out after passing through it.
Step 4: When the slit width is decreased, the waves spread out more after passing through the slit.
Step 5: This spreading out of waves increases the angle at which the waves diffract.
Step 6: As a result, the diffraction pattern (the pattern of light and dark areas created) becomes wider.
Diffraction – The bending of waves around obstacles and openings, which is influenced by the size of the slit relative to the wavelength of the light.
Slit Width and Diffraction Angle – As the slit width decreases, the diffraction angle increases, leading to a wider diffraction pattern.
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