Why are fringes are formed in the Young double slit experiment?

In the Young double slit experiment, coherent light of wavelength λ from a single source illuminates a system of two slits separated from each other by a small distance a. Each slit causes the light entering it to diffract, and behaves like a light source. Light from each slit is then observed on a screen at a distance D far away from the set of slits.At certain points on the screen, the light waves from each slit arrive in phase (phase difference of 2nπ, with n an integer) with each other, due to the difference in the length the waves have travelled (path difference) being nλ. This causes constructive interference and produces a bright fringe. At other points, the waves from each slit arrive in anti-phase (phase difference of (2n+1)π), corresponding to a path length of (2n+1)λ/2, causing destructive interference and producing no resultant wave which looks like a dark fringe. As a result, an alternating pattern of light and dark fringes is formed. The spacing Δx between light fringes is found using Δx = Dλ/a.

JP

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why is potential energy negative? What does that even mean?


Light with a frequency of 200nm is shone on a sodium plate with a work function of 2.28eV and electrons start escaping the surface of the plate due to the photoelectric effect. What is the maximum kinetic energy of one of these electrons in eV?


How do control rods work in a nuclear fission reactor?


Why do I keep losing marks on 6 markers?