Diffraction and Interference

Diffraction
The spreading of a wave through an opening or
past an obstacle.
 Diffraction
=The spreading of a wave through an opening or
past an obstacle.
 Diffraction
=The spreading of a wave through an opening or
past an obstacle.
 Diffraction
=The spreading of a wave through an opening or
past an obstacle.

Significant diffraction only if

wavelength ≥ size of the opening
Huygen’s principle
 Huygen’s principle

Every point on a wave acts as

a source of a new spherical
wave.
The addition of these waves
results in the wave front of
the wave.
Wavefront diagram
Double source interference
 Interference
Interference may be :
destructive if the peak of one wave meets the
trough of another

constructive if the peak of one wave meets

the peak of another
 Path difference
• Constructive interference occurs when the
path difference is a multiple of the wavelength
• Destructive interference occurs when the path
difference is a multiple of a wavelenth + ½.
Young’s double slit experiment
• dsinθ=mλ
 Practice Diffraction
• A laser produces light of wavelength 475nm.
• a) what is the frequency of the light?
• B) what is the period of the light wave?
• C) If it passes through a diffraction grating with
250 slits per mm. What is “d”?
• D) what is the angle between the mid-bright spot
( m=0) and the first bright spot ( m=1)?
• E) How would your answer to D change if the
diffraction grating had 350 slits per mm.