Practice question · Match the pairs
Match each wave optics phenomenon to its key equation.
- Double-slit bright fringe
- Single-slit dark fringe
- Thin-film constructive (in air)
- Rayleigh resolution limit
Hints
- Separate two-slit interference from single-opening diffraction.
- One of these adds an extra half-wavelength on reflection.
Show the answer
- Double-slit bright fringe →
- Single-slit dark fringe →
- Thin-film constructive (in air) →
- Rayleigh resolution limit →
Why
Slits that are close together (separation d) give interference maxima; a single opening of width a gives diffraction minima; thin films add a half-wave flip on reflection; and Rayleigh’s criterion sets the smallest angle two sources can be apart and still be distinguished.
Practise Wave Optics: Interference and Diffraction
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