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In a Young\'s double-slit experiment, two parallel slits with a slit separation

ID: 1520920 • Letter: I

Question

In a Young's double-slit experiment, two parallel slits with a slit separation of 0.130 mm are illuminated by light of wavelength 578 nm, and the interference pattern is observed on a screen located 3.65 m from the slits.
(a) What is the difference in path lengths from each of the slits to the location of the center of a second-order bright fringe on the screen?
µm

(b) What is the difference in path lengths from the two slits to the location of the center of the second dark fringe away from the center of the pattern?
µm

Explanation / Answer

Here,

wavelength = 578 nm

screen distance , D = 3.65 m

slit speration ,d = 0.130 mm

a)

difference in path at the location of second order fringe = 2 * wavelength

difference in path at the location of second order fringe = 2 * 0.578 um

difference in path at the location of second order fringe = 1.156 um

b)

for the second dark fringe

difference in path at the location of second order dark fringe = 1.5 * wavelength

difference in path at the location of second order dark fringe = 1.5 * 0.578 um

difference in path at the location of second order dark fringe = 0.867 um