Single Slit Diffraction Video Lessons

Concept

# Problem: An experiment is conducted in which red light is diffracted through a single slit.Then, each of the following alterations to the original experiment is made, one at a time and the experiment is repeated. After each alteration, the experiment is returned to its original configuration.A. The slit width is halved.B. The distance between the slits and the screen is halved.C. The slit width is doubled.D. A green, rather than red, light source is used.E. The experiment is conducted in a water-filled tank.F. The distance between the slits and the screen is doubled.A. Which of these alterations decreases the angles at which the diffraction minima appear?

###### FREE Expert Solution

Diffraction grating equation:

$\overline{)\begin{array}{rcl}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{\lambda }& {\mathbf{=}}& \mathbf{d}\mathbf{s}\mathbf{i}\mathbf{n}\mathbf{\theta }\\ {\mathbf{\theta }}& {\mathbf{=}}& \mathbf{s}\mathbf{i}{\mathbf{n}}^{\mathbf{-}\mathbf{1}}\mathbf{\left(}\frac{\mathbf{n}\mathbf{\lambda }}{\mathbf{d}}\mathbf{\right)}\end{array}}$

From the equation, the angle is directly proportional to the wavelength of the light.

The angle is inversely proportional to the slit width.

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###### Problem Details

An experiment is conducted in which red light is diffracted through a single slit.

Then, each of the following alterations to the original experiment is made, one at a time and the experiment is repeated. After each alteration, the experiment is returned to its original configuration.

A. The slit width is halved.
B. The distance between the slits and the screen is halved.
C. The slit width is doubled.
D. A green, rather than red, light source is used.
E. The experiment is conducted in a water-filled tank.
F. The distance between the slits and the screen is doubled.

A. Which of these alterations decreases the angles at which the diffraction minima appear?