Diffraction

Experiment #20 from Advanced Physics with Vernier — Beyond Mechanics

In this experiment, you will

• Compare and contrast features of the patterns produced on a screen when light from a laser passes through either one or two slits.
• Discern which features of the pattern arise from the interaction of the light with the single slit and which arise from the double slits.
• Use the principle of superposition to explain how waves from two sources could interfere constructively or destructively.
• Use Huygen’s Principle to construct a diagrammatic explanation of how path length differences for waves originating at different points in the slit give rise to the dark fringes in a diffraction pattern.
• From experimental parameters, predict the locations of dark fringes in the pattern.
• Collect intensity vs. position data to test your predictions.