Exam 35: Diffraction and Interference

When you look at a single-slit diffraction pattern produced on a screen by light of a single wavelength, you see a bright central maximum and a number of maxima on either side, their intensity decreasing with distance from the central maximum. If the width of the slit is decreased,

When you look through a sheer curtain at a distant street lamp, you see a pattern of colored spots of light. This occurs by

Ray says that interference effects cannot be observed with visible light because random phase changes occur in time intervals less than a nanosecond. Stacy says that doesn't matter if collimated light from a single source reaches multiple openings. (They are arguing about a light source 50.0 cm away from two 0.0100-mm-wide slits, 2.00 mm apart, with a screen 1.00 m away from the slits.) Which one, if either, is correct, and why?

A narrow slit is illuminated with sodium yellow light of wavelength 589 nm. If the central maximum extends to ±30.0°, how wide is the slit?

A planar cross section through two spherical waves emanating from the sources S₁ and S₂ in the plane is shown in the figure. S₁ and S₂ are in phase. The black circles are one and two wavelengths from their respective sources. The lighter circles are one-half and one-and-a-half wavelengths distant from their respective sources. If the waves shown arriving at P₁ both arrive with amplitude A, the resultant amplitude at point P₁ is ​ ​

The superposition of two waves E1 = E0 sin(ωt) and E2 = E0 sin(ωt + φ) arriving at the same point in space at the same time is E =

Bright and dark fringes are seen on a screen when light from a single source reaches two narrow slits a short distance apart. The number of fringes per unit length on the screen can be halved

Which of the patterns shown below would appear on a screen when monochromatic light first passes through a narrow slit for which a = λ and then strikes the screen? Note that the darkest area in each illustration represents the brightest area on the screen.

Each pattern shown below would appear on a screen when monochromatic light first passes through a narrow slit of width a and then strikes a screen. The darkest areas on the page represent the brightest areas on the screen. In which case is the slit illuminated with light of the shortest wavelength?

Each pattern shown below would appear on a screen when monochromatic light of wavelength λ first passes through a narrow slit of width a and then strikes a screen. The darkest areas on the page represent the brightest areas on the screen. In which case does the slit have the narrowest width?

For small angle approximations

A single slit of width a is illuminated by light of wavelength λ. If a = 4.3λ, the maximum number of dark fringes on a semi-circular screen surrounding the slit is

The pupil of a cat's eye narrows to a slit width of 0.5 mm in daylight. What is the angular resolution of the cat's eye in daylight (λ = 500 nm)?

The figures below represent interference fringes. The distances from the screen to the slits is the same for each figure, and the planes of the screen and the slits are parallel. Which figure(s) represent(s) slits with the greatest spacing d between the slits? The white spaces represent the interference maxima.

The figure shows two point sources of light, A and B, that emit light waves in phase with each other. A is a distance of 3λ from point P. B is distant 5λ from P. (λ is the wavelength.) The phase difference between the waves arriving at P from A and B is ​ ​

The figure shows two point sources of light, A and B. B emits light waves that are +π radians out of phase with the waves from A. A is 3λ from P. B is 5λ from P. (λ is the wavelength.) The phase difference between waves arriving at P from A and B is

Two slits separated by 0.050 mm are illuminated with green light (λ = 540 nm). How many bands of bright lines are there between the central maximum and the 12-cm position? (The distance between the double slits and the screen is 1.0 m.)

The figures below represent interference fringes. The distances from the screen to the slits is the same for each figure, and the planes of the screen and the slits are parallel. Which figure(s) represent(s) slits with the smallest spacing d between the slits? The white spaces represent the interference maxima.

Scattered light in the atmosphere is often partially polarized. The best way to determine whether or not light from a particular direction in the sky shows polarization is to

Two slits are illuminated with red light (λ = 650 nm). The slits are 0.25 mm apart and the distance to the screen is 1.25 m. What fraction of the maximum intensity on the screen is the intensity measured at a distance 3.0 mm from the central maximum?