TAP 321- 3: Two-slit interference

Two-slit interference
Young used two slits to show that light is a wave motion and thus had a wavelength.

Young’s two-slit interference experiment

two slits:
narrow 1 mm spacing or less
source
bright and
dark fringes

several metres several metres

Geometry

length L of light
path from slits
x
 angle 
light combines at
light distant screen
from d
source


path difference d sin 

path difference = d sin 
between light from slits
sin  = x/L
path difference = d(x/L)

Approximations: angle  very small; paths effectively parallel; distance L equal to slit– screen distance.
Error less than 1 in 1000
Young’s two-slit interference experiment

Two simple cases

to bright
fringe on
screen
to dark
fringe on
 screen

d
 d


d sin 
d sin /2

waves in phase: In general: waves in antiphase:

 = d sin  for a bright fringe n = d sin  /2 = d sin 
 = d(x/L) spacing between fringes =  (L/d) /2 = d(x/L)

Wavelength can be measured from the fringe spacing

Practical advice
This diagram is provided here for use in the classroom

External reference
This activity is taken from Advancing Physics chapter 6, 55O