Shapes of Interference Fringes in Young’s Double Slit Experiment

When two light waves meet, they can create an interference pattern. This pattern is made up of bright and dark lines and it depends on the phase difference between the two waves. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the shapes of interference fringes in Young’s double-slit experiment.

What are fringes in Young’s Double Slit Experiment?

Interference fringes are the light and dark bands that are produced when two waves interfere with each other. The shape of the interference fringe pattern can be used to determine the wavelength of the light that is causing the interference.

In Young’s Double Slit Experiment, a beam of light is shone through a slit and then passes through a second slit. The light waves then interfere with each other and produce a fringe pattern on a screen. The shape of the interference fringe pattern depends on the wavelength of the light that is used in the experiment.

If the wavelength of the light is large, then the interference fringes will be wide and spaced far apart. If the wavelength of the light is small, then the interference fringes will be narrow and spaced close together.

The shape of the interference fringe pattern can also be used to determine the width of the slits. If the slits are wide, then the interference fringes will be hyperbolic. If the slits are narrow, then the interference fringes will be elliot.

Different Shapes of Interference Fringes in Young’s Double Slit Experiment

Here are different shapes of interference:

Hyperbola

The hyperbola is the shape of an interference fringe when the light rays interfere destructively. This happens when the path difference between the two light rays is equal to one wavelength.

Circle

The circle is the shape of an interference fringe when the light rays interfere constructively. This happens when the path difference between the two light rays is equal to an even multiple of one wavelength.

Sine wave

The sine wave is the shape of an interference fringe when the light rays interfere constructively and destructively at the same time. This happens when the path difference between the two light rays is equal to an odd multiple of one wavelength.

Parabolic

The parabola is the shape of an interference fringe when the light rays interfere constructively. This happens when the path difference between the two light rays is equal to an odd multiple of one-half wavelength.

Now that we know the different shapes of interference fringes, let’s take a closer look at how they are formed.

What is the shape of Interference Fringes in Young’s Double Slit Experiment?

When light waves interfere with each other, they create a new wave that has a different shape than the original waves. The shape of the new wave depends on how the two waves interfere with each other. If the two waves interfere constructively, then they make a wave that is taller than the original waves. If they interfere destructively, then they make a wave that is shorter than the original waves.

The amount of interference that happens between two waves depends on the phase difference between the two waves. The phase difference is the difference in the position of the two waves when they interfere with each other. If the two waves are in phase with each other, then they interfere constructively. If they are out of phase with each other, then they interfere destructively.

The shape of an interference fringe is determined by the amount of interference that happens between the two waves. If there is a lot of constructive interference, then the fringe will be tall and skinny. If there is a lot of destructive interference, then the fringe will be short and wide. If there is an equal amount of constructive and destructive interference, then the fringe will be a sine wave.

You can see the different shapes of interference fringes in Young’s double-slit experiment. When light shines through two slits, it interferes with itself and forms an interference pattern on a screen.

Conclusion

From the above analysis, we can see that the shapes of interference fringes in Young’s double-slit experiment are determined by the relative positions of the light source, slits and screen. If the light source is far from the slits, the fringes will be straight lines. If the light source is closer to the slits, the fringes will be curved, with the shape depending on the specific configuration. In general, interference fringes will be either straight lines or curving shapes (hyperbolas) depending on the positions of the light source and slits. By understanding these principles, we can better predict and control the patterns that interfere creates.