Practice question · Multiple choice
In a double-slit experiment you make the two slits closer together. What happens to the bright fringes on the screen?
Hints
- Fringe condition: . If shrinks, what must do to keep the equation true?
- Smaller → larger angles for the same order : the pattern inflates.
Show the answer
A. They spread farther apart
Why
The geometry is reciprocal: tighter slits throw a wider pattern (). This inverse relationship is the heart of diffraction, and the reason small things are hard to see with light: the finer the detail, the wider the light spreads.
Practise Wave Optics: Interference and Diffraction
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