The intensity at any point on the screen is independent of the angle made between the ray to the screen and the normal line between the slit and the screen (this angle is called T below).Cylindrical waves can be represented in 2D diagrams as cicular waves.The slit size is small, relative to the wavelength of light.Some assumptions must be made for this description of the single slit diffraction pattern: Light bends around obstacles like waves do, and it is this bending which causes the single slit diffraction pattern. Interference and Diffraction are the phenomena that distinguish waves from particles: waves interfere and diffract, particles do not. The key to understanding why light behaves like waves is in INTERFERENCE and DIFFRACTION. It wasn't until the 19th century that convincing evidence was found showing that light behaves like waves.īefore reading on, you may wish to review some wave terminology. Light is interesting and mysterious because it consists of both a beam of particles, and of waves in motion.Īll carriers of energy and momentum, such as light and electrons, propagate like a wave and exchange energy like a particle. Left: picture of a single slit diffraction pattern.
The intention of this web page is to explain this pattern at the academic level mentioned above. The diffraction pattern observed with light and a small slit comes up in about every high school and first year university general physics class. SINGLE SLIT DIFFRACTION PATTERN OF LIGHT SINGLE SLIT DIFFRACTION PATTERN OF LIGHT
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