?in Young’s double slit experiment In an experiment pattern second min...
Ans.
Young’s double-slit experiment uses two coherent sources of light placed at a small distance apart, usually, only a few orders of magnitude greater than the wavelength of light is used. Young’s double-slit experiment helped in understanding the
wave theory of light
which is explained with the help of a diagram. A screen or photodetector is placed at a large distance ’D’ away from the slits as shown.
Derivation of Young’s Double Slit Experiment
The original Young’s double-slit experiment used diffracted light from a single source passed into two more slits to be used as coherent sources. Lasers are commonly used as
coherent sources
in the modern-day experiments.
This question is part of UPSC exam. View all Class 12 courses
?in Young’s double slit experiment In an experiment pattern second min...
Understanding Young's Double Slit Experiment
Young's double slit experiment demonstrates the wave nature of light through interference patterns. In this scenario, we focus on the condition for observing the second minimum directly in front of one slit.
Conditions for Minima
- The positions of minima are given by the formula:
y = (m + 1/2)λD/d
where:
- y = position of the minimum on the screen
- m = order of the minimum (0, 1, 2, ...)
- λ = wavelength of light
- D = distance from the slits to the screen
- d = distance between the two slits
Second Minimum in Front of One Slit
- For the second minimum (m=2) to be directly in front of one slit:
- The condition becomes:
y = (2 + 1/2)λD/d
- This simplifies to:
y = (5/2)λD/d
Position of the Minimum
- Since the second minimum is observed at a specific position y = 0 (in front of one slit), we set:
- (5/2)λD/d = 0
- This indicates that the minimum occurs at a specific geometric arrangement.
Calculating Wavelength
- Rearranging the equation gives us an insight into the wavelength:
λ = (d/5) * (yD)
Here, y will be the distance from the center to the minimum, which is zero in this case.
Conclusion
- To observe the second minimum directly in front of one slit, the wavelength of the light source can be derived from the slit separation and the distance to the screen. This experiment beautifully illustrates the principles of interference and the wave nature of light.