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Wave Superposition

Okay, let's break this down step-by-step: * The grating has 300 lines per millimeter * So the spacing between the lines (d) is 1/300 mm * A second order maximum is observed at 18.90° * Using the grating equation: d sinθ = nλ * Here n = 2 (second order maximum) * d = 1/300 mm * sinθ = 0.3245 (for 18.90°) * Plugging into the equation: (1/300) * 0.3245 = 2λ * Solving for λ: λ = 500nm Therefore, the wavelength of the light is 500nm

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Andrei Allen Gonzales
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22 views

Wave Superposition

Okay, let's break this down step-by-step: * The grating has 300 lines per millimeter * So the spacing between the lines (d) is 1/300 mm * A second order maximum is observed at 18.90° * Using the grating equation: d sinθ = nλ * Here n = 2 (second order maximum) * d = 1/300 mm * sinθ = 0.3245 (for 18.90°) * Plugging into the equation: (1/300) * 0.3245 = 2λ * Solving for λ: λ = 500nm Therefore, the wavelength of the light is 500nm

Uploaded by

Andrei Allen Gonzales
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Wave superposition

Wave superposition
The conditions for two waves to
interfere with each other
Each peak is produced by positive interference. Each trough
occurs because of negative interference
Central maximum phase difference 0

S1

S2

Here the path lengths from S1 and S2 to X


are the same
path difference to next peak is 1 wavelength

v elen ghts
2 wa

S1

gth s
e len
wav
3

S2

Note that when the phase difference is 2π


the path length from one of the slits is
longer by a single wavelength
Path difference 2
wavelengths

Path difference 1
wavelength

Path difference 0
Measuring the difference in path length to the
first fringe

1st fringe

0.645m

Zero or central
0.670m fringe
Interference with Light Sources
The geometry of the situation gives us ws W is the distance
the relationship  between adjacent
fringes
D S is the slit
separation

laser

double slit
In reality you would measure the total distance between the centre of several
visible fringes and divide by the number of dark intervals between them to
achieve a better value for w.
Diffraction of Waves
Diffraction from a Single Slit
Diffraction of water waves
from above
Single
narrow slit

Laser
Diffraction at a single aperture

Single slit

distant screen intensity


across
The diffraction of light

Diffracted laser light from a single slit projected onto a screen


Notice there is a large central maximum with minima and secondary
maxima on each side of it.

The diffraction pattern can be explained by assuming that


each point along the slit width is a wave source:
Superposition then accounts for the bright and dark areas
in the pattern.
intensity

2nd order 1st order Zero order 1st order 2nd order
Principle principle
Principle Principle Principle
maximum maximum
maximum maximum maximum
minimum
minimum
minimum
minimum
Imagine one set of rays produced normal to the
slit.

Normal rays

Slit width

The path length of this set of rays to the


screen are all equal. The waves reinforce
each other and produce a bright region on
the screen
How the minima are produced
A second set of ray can emerge from the
slit all parallel to each other but at an
angle θ to the normal rays.
.

a/2n θ

a a/2n

a/2n

a/2n

These rays can be equal distances apart.


We can think of the slit being divided into
d/2n equal strips
These rays will have a difference in path length to the
screen

Difference in
path length
between ray A
and ray B

B
When the path difference =λ/2 they will interfere
destructively with each other

Difference in
path length λ/2

B
The same is true for every pair of rays parallel to rays
A and B for example rays C and D and so on.

Difference in B
path length λ/2

Because these waves destroy each D


other no light appears along these
directions.
X
λ/2 θ

 
 
2
sin    
XY
θ

XY sin  
Y 2
a 
Difference in sin  
path length 2n 2

a sin   n
And minima occur when n=1,n=2,n=3 etc
The diffraction grating
Each line acts as a very
narrow slit
A

B θ

θ
C

The light through each


slit is diffracted in all
directions.
Consider the light
through two slits
diffracted at angle θ to
the normal

If the light diffracted through


angle θ at A is in phase with the
light diffracted through θ at B it
must be in phase with the light
at this angle through every other
slit.
The path difference is the length AN

A θ
X

d N

θ
Y

Notice that:
to be in phase
the path difference (ie the
distance A to N)
has to be a multiple of the
wavelength λ
i.e (n λ )

The distance AN = d sinθ So d sinθ = n λ


What you see
When the waves interfere constructively
through each slit they are at an angle
given by the formula
d sinθ = n λ
Question
• When a grating of 300 lines per millimetre
is illuminated with parallel beam of
monochromatic light normal to it a second
order principle maximum is observed at
18.90 to the straight through direction.
Calculate the wavelength of the light.

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