January 2016

Experiment 19U: Diffraction & Interference

Purpose
The purpose of this experiment is to examine:
(1) the diffraction pattern formed by laser light passing through a single slit and verify that the
positions of the minima in the diffraction pattern match the positions predicted by theory, and
(2) the diffraction and interference patterns formed by laser light passing through two slits and
verify that the positions of the maxima in the interference pattern match the positions
predicted by theory.

Apparatus
optics bench with screen, red diode laser ( = 650 nm), single slit disk, multiple slit disk, white
paper, metric ruler, masking tape, desk lamp

Theory
Examples of single and double slit diffraction are show below. Note how they are similar and
how they are different.

I. Diffraction from a Single Slit

When laser light is incident on a single slit, we have a plane wave at the slit with all the
wavelengths in phase. Light going through the slit spreads out from it as if each point of the
wave front is a source of waves going in all directions. We can think of this as light from small
sections of the slit reaching the screen and we sum up all the contributions. One way to do this is
to add the light in pairs, one at the top of the slit and one at the bottom. Their rays add together at
each point on the screen and interfere either constructively or destructively. These contributions
will be in or out of phase depending on the difference in path length from the slit to the screen

102a
 Figure 1a Figure 1b

for each point source. From Figure 1a (where m=2), we see that the difference in path length
from the top of the slit to a point on the screen versus the distance from the bottom of the slit to
the same point is given by = a sin '. We find that the condition for a minimum is
a sin = m (m = 1,2,3...) (1)
where a is the slit width, is the angle, is the wavelength of the light, and m is the order (1 for
the first minimum where the path difference is one wavelenth, 2 for the second minimum, etc)
counting from the center out.

From Figure 1b, we see that for a distance to the screen D >> the slit width a, the angle from
the center of the pattern to the mth minimum = the angle '. Since the angles are small, the sine
of the angle to the minima (dark fringes) is given by:
sin tan = y / D
where y is the distance on the screen from the center of the pattern to the mth minimum and
D is the distance from the slit to the screen as shown in Figure 1.1. Making this substitution for
sin , the equation for the condition for a minimum can be solved for the slit width:
a = mD / y (m = 1,2,3,) (2)

II. Interference from a Double Slit

When laser light passes through two slits, each slit
separately produces a diffraction pattern, and
the two light rays emerging from the slits interfere with
each other and produce interference fringes as well.
When the difference in path length between the two slits
is an integer number of wavelengths there is constructive
interference and we see a bright fringe.
Figure 2
The angle to the maxima (bright fringes) in the interference pattern is given by
102b
 d sin = m (m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ) (3)
where now d is the slit separation, is the angle from the center of the pattern to the mth
maximum, is the wavelength of the light, and m is the order (0 for the central maximum, 1 for
the first side maximum, 2 for the second side maximum,) counting from the center out. (See
Figure 2)

We still have, since the angles are small,

sin tan = y / D
where y is the distance on the screen from the center of the pattern to the mth maximum and D is
the distance from the slits to the screen as shown in Figure 2. The equation for the condition for a
maximum can then be solved for the slit separation d:

d = mD / y (m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ) (4)

Procedure Part I: Determine the width of the single slit

slit
disk
lase screen with
r paper on

1) Place the red laser at one end of the optics bench and put the Single Slit Disk in its holder
about 3 cm in front of the laser output. (See Figure 3.)

2) Select the 0.04 mm slit by rotating the slit disk until the 0.04 mm slit is centered in the
slit holder. (The slit holder will click into place.) If necessary, ask your professor to
adjust the position of the laser beam left-to-right and up-and-down.

3) Write the slit width on a sheet of white paper and attach it to the screen. Mount the screen
to the end of the optics bench so that the paper faces the laser.

102c
 4) Rotate the slit disk until the red dots on the paper are horizontal. Move the screen back
and forth until the dots are clear. You should see bright maxima interspersed with dark
minima:

minimu minim minimu

m a m
m=2 m=1 m=2
Figure 4

5) Record the screen position and the slit position.

6) Turn off the light. Mark and label the center of the central maximum and the positions of
the minima in the diffraction pattern on the screen as shown in Figure 4 above.

7) Change to the slit with width to 0.08 mm and repeat procedures 2 through 6.

Procedure Part II: Determine the distance between two slits

8) Remove the Single Slit Disk and place the Multiple Slit Disk in its holder - still 3 cm in
front of the laser.

9) Select the double slit with 0.04 mm slit width and 0.25 mm slit separation by rotating the
slit disk until the desired double slit is centered in the slit holder. If necessary, ask your
professor to adjust the position of the laser beam from left-to-right and up-and-down until
the beam is centered on the double slit.

10) Write the slit width and slit separation on the bottom of a sheet of white paper and attach
it to the screen. Mount the screen to the other end of the optics bench so that the paper
faces the laser.

102d
11) Rotate the slit disk until the red dots on the paper are horizontal. Move the screen back
and forth until the dots are clear. They should look like Figure 5 below:
center
cluster

maximu maximu central maximu maximu

m m maximu m m
m=2 m=1 m m=1 m=2
Figure 5

12) Record the screen position and slit position.

13) Mark the positions of the centers of the maxima in the center cluster of red dots within
the center interference pattern as shown above in Figure 5.

14) Change to a new double slit with the same slit width 0.04 mm but different slit separation
0.50 mm and repeat procedures 10 through 13.

15) Change to a third double slit with a slit width of 0.08 mm and the original slit separation
0.25 mm and repeat procedures 10 through 13.

102e
 Lab Report
Show all calculations including units.

102f
 Part 1: Data and Results for the _________ mm width Single Slit

Screen position: _______________ Slit Position: ________________

Slit to screen distance (D) = _____________________________
First Order Minima (m = 1) Second Order Minima(m = 2)
Distance between side order minima
Distance from center to side (y)
Calculated slit width
Average slit width from first and second order
% discrepancy between average slit width and actual slit width
Part I
1) Copy and complete a Part 1 Data and Results Table for each slit width..
a. Fill in the screen and slit positions and calculate the slit to screen distance.

b. Measure and record the distances between the two side m=1 minima. Then measure
and record the distances between the m=2 minima. (see Figure 3)

c. Divide the distances between the side orders by two to get the distance y from the
center of the pattern to the minima for both orders. Record these values in Table 1.

d. Using the wavelength of the red laser (650 nm) and Equation (2), calculate the slit
width for each order. Show a sample calculation including units. Record the results.

e. Find the average experimental slit width for m = 1 and m = 2.

f. Calculate the percent discrepancy between the average experimental slit width and
the actual slit width. Record it in Table 1.

Question #1: Does the distance between minima increase or decrease when the slit width is
increased?

102g
Part II

102h
 Part 2: Data and Results for the Double Slit
________mm width / _________ mm separation
Screen position: _______________ Slit Position: ________________
Slit to screen distance (D) = _____________________________
First Order Maxima (m = 1) Second Order Maxima(m = 2)
Distance between side order maxima
Distance from center to side (y)
Calculated slit separation
Average slit separation from first and second order
% discrepancy between average slit separation and actual slit
separation

2) Copy and complete Part 2 Data and Results Table for each of the three slit width/separation
combinations:
a. Fill in the screen and slit positions and calculate the slit to screen distance.

b. Measure and record the distance between the side order maxima for m=1 and then for
m=2. (see Figure 4)

c. Divide the distances between the side orders by two to get the distances y from the
center of the pattern to the first and second order maxima. Record these values in
the tables.

d. Using the wavelength of the red laser (650 nm) and Equation (4), calculate the slit
separation for first order and again for second order. Show a sample calculation
including units. Record the results.

e. Find the average experimental slit separation for m = 1 and m = 2.

f. Calculate the percent discrepancy between the average experimental slit separation
and the actual slit separation. Record it in Table 2.

Question #2: Does the distance between maxima increase, decrease, or stay the same when only
the slit separation is increased?

Question #3: Does the distance between maxima increase, decrease, or stay the same when only
the slit width is increased?

102i