Names: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Lab Activity: Young’s Double Slit Experiment

Objective: to measure the wavelength of a laser using Young’s double slit experiment
Material:
 A He-Ne laser
 A double slit system
 A measuring tape
 A Vernier ruler.
Procedure:
1. Record the slit separation d and the theoretical wavelength of the laser on your data sheet.
2. Carefully align the laser with the double slits so that the interference pattern clearly appears on the
screen.
3. Using the measuring tape carefully measure L, the distance between the slits and the screen.
4. As you know if the small angle approximation is applicable, the y-position on the screen of the mth
order of a dark fringe on a screen a distance L away is:

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 In practice, you might find it easier to measure the dark fringes spacing and use them to find the wavelength as
of the following:

Using the Vernier ruler, measure the distance between each symmetrical pair (with respect to
the central maximum) of dark fringes and

5. Record your data on the table below, then calculate the wavelength and compute the average. Please
note that are the distance between the first two dark fringes (m=0), second dark
fringes (m=1), third dark fringes and etc.
6. Calculate the % difference between the wavelength you calculated and the value written on the laser.
Is this result acceptable? Discuss. To obtain more accurate results, what practical options do exist?
Discuss.

Slit separation d___________

Screen to slit distance L____________

s
0
1
2
3
4

Show your calculation as well a sample calculation for in the following:

Please note: Before you submit your lab report you should have answered all the following questions too:
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1) Please write the answer to the questions in section 6 of the above lab instructions in the following:

2) For the above double slit experiment,

a) Determine from which fringe order, small angle approximation is not applicable.

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b) What is the phase difference between the two waves at the third order bright fringes.(show your work).

c) Determine the point at the center of the first dark fringe on the viewing screen is how much further (in nm) from slit
1 than from slit 2. Show your work.

3) A light source emits visible lights of two wavelengths The source is used in a
double slit interference experiment in which
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 Find the separation distance between the 65th order bright fringes for the two wavelengths.

4) If we examine the entire interference pattern due to the two above wavelengths (question 3) and look for
overlapping fringes, A) Determine which bright fringe order of the 430 nm light overlap exactly with which bright
fringe order of the 510 nm light?
B) At these two orders is the small angle approximation applicable or not? Justify your answer with calculation.
C) For question A, determine at which position on the viewing screen (with respect to the center of central bight
fringe) this exact overlapping has happened?

MCQs: circle the correct answer and also show your full work and reasoning of how
you obtained your answer.

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1) Coherent monochromatic light of wavelength 632.8 nm passes through a pair of thin parallel slits. The
figure shows the central portion of the pattern of bright fringes viewed on a screen 1.40 m beyond the slits.
What is the distance between the two slits?

A) 0.0703 mm
B) 0.141 mm
C) 0.281 mm
D) 0.562 mm
E) 0.633 mm
F) 0.718 mm

2)At most, how many bright fringes can be formed on each side of the central bright fringe (not counting the
central bright fringe) when light of 625 nm falls on a double slit whose spacing is 1.97 × 10-6 m?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5
F) 6

3) A pair of narrow slits, separated by 1.8 mm, is illuminated by a monochromatic light source. Light waves
arrive at the two slits in phase, and a fringe pattern is observed on a screen 4.8 m from the slits. If there are
5.0 complete bright fringes per centimeter on the screen near the center of the pattern, what is the
wavelength of the monochromatic light?
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A) 550 nm
B) 600 nm
C) 650 nm
D) 700 nm
E) 750 nm
F) 978 nm

4) Two sources of light illuminate a double slit simultaneously. One has wavelength 570 nm and the second
has an unknown wavelength. The m = 5 bright fringe of the unknown wavelength overlaps the
m = 4 bright fringe of the light of 570 nm wavelength. What is the unknown wavelength?
A) 456 nm
B) 326 nm
C) 380 nm
D) 713 nm
E) 625 nm
F) 830 nm

5) Light from a 600 nm source goes through two slits 0.080 mm apart. What is the angular separation of the
two first order maxima occurring on a screen 2.0 m from the slits?
A) 0.15°
B) 0.86°
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C) 0.015°
D) 0.0075°
E) 1.75°
F) 0.0815°