Intefrence of light and separation of slit

[desmond iking]

Homework Statement

according to my notes, if the single slit is made larger , the slit can can been as point source, where each point can produce its own set of intefrence pattern. whi is it so ? i can't understand

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[BvU]

Hi Des,
Try to read what you write before posting. What's this about ?

Why is what so? It is so because you wrote it down, but that's not what you are after, right?

Perhaps instead of

if the single slit is made larger , the slit can can been as point source, where each point can produce its own set of intefrence pattern

it should have been something like

... each point in the opening can be seen as a point source that contributes to form an interference pattern ...

 

[desmond iking]

sorry. i typed too fast .
according to my notes, if the single slit is made larger , the slit can be seen as point source, where each point can produce its own set of inteference pattern. why is it so ? i can't understand

 

[BvU]

It is not so. A slit is not a point source and cannot be seen as such: it is an extended source.

The word Interference has "inter-" in it, as in Latin inter (prep., adv.) "among, between, betwixt, in the midst of" (or as in "Internet", nowadays: also between senders and receivers). It takes two to tango and it takes more than one point source before one can speak of interference.

Each point of the slit acts as a point source (see Huygens principle) and the waves emanating from these points form an interference pattern.

 

[HalfLostAndSearching]

The interference of light occurs when two or more waves meet and combine to form a resultant wave. In the case of a single slit, the light passing through it diffracts and creates a pattern of bright and dark fringes on a screen. This is due to the interference of the light waves passing through the slit.

When the single slit is made larger, it essentially becomes a point source, meaning that the light waves passing through it can be treated as coming from a single point. This allows for each point on the slit to create its own set of interference patterns, resulting in a more complex interference pattern on the screen.

To understand why this happens, it is important to remember that light is a wave and has properties such as diffraction and interference. As the slit becomes larger, the light waves passing through it become more spread out, allowing for more points of interference to occur. This results in a more intricate interference pattern on the screen.

I hope this helps to clarify the concept of the interference of light and the effect of a larger single slit on the interference pattern. It is a fundamental principle in understanding the behavior of light and its interactions with matter.