Question

If light is passed through a double-slit opening and falls onto a screen, Identify the pattern produced on the screen .

• A. a bright central band of light with slightly diminished, alternating bright and dark bands.
• B. a bright central band of light with tiny lines toward the edges of the screen.
• C. a large circle of light with tiny circles around it
• D. equally sized concentric circles of light.
• E. one antinode and no nodes.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

a bright central band of light with slightly diminished, alternating bright and dark bands.

When light is passed through a double slit opening, light from the two slits interfere at different points in the screen, forming alternating bright and dark fringes due to constructive and destructive interference respectively. However the intensities of higher order bands is slightly diminished.

Such an arrangement was first studied by Young, and has been since called Young's Double Slit Setup.