What is diffraction, and how is it different from interference?

What is diffraction, and how is it different from interference?

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Pallavi Pathak | Contributor-Level 10

5 months ago

Diffraction leads to the formation of patterns of varying intensity. When around obstacles, waves bend and spread through the narrow opening, it is called diffraction. The interference results in a new wave pattern and involves the superposition of two or more coherent waves. Both these phenomena produce patterns of light and dark regions; the interference results from the combination of multiple waves and the diffraction arises from a single wave interacting with an aperture or obstacle. When the size of the aperture or obstacle is comparable to the wavelength of the wave, diffraction patterns are typically observed.

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A uniform thin rope of length 12 m and mass 6 kg hangs vertically from a rigid support and a block of mass 2 kg is attached to its free end. A transverse short wave-train of wavelength 6 cm is produced at the lower end of the rope. What is the wavelength of the wave train (in cm) when it reaches the top of the rope?

alok kumar singh

At lower end
Tension, T? = 2g = 20 N (due to the 2 kg block)
Velocity, v? = √ (T? /μ) = √ (20/μ)
Wavelength, λ? = 6 cm

At upper end
Tension, T? = (2 kg + 6 kg)g = 8g = 80 N (due to the block and the rope)
Velocity, v? = √ (T? /μ) = √ (80/μ) = √4 * √ (20/μ) = 2v?

Since frequency (f) remains the same:
f = v? /λ? = v? /λ?
⇒ λ? = λ? * (v? /v? )
⇒ λ? = λ? * (2v? /v? ) = 2λ?
⇒ λ? = 2 * 6 cm = 12 cm

In the Young's double slit experiment, the distance between the slits varies in time as d(t) = d? + a? sin(ωt); where d?, ω and a? are constants. The difference between the largest fringe width and the smallest fringe width obtained over time is given as :

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β = λD / (d? + a? sinωt)
β? - β? = λD/ (d? - a? ) - λD/ (d? + a? )
= λD [ (d? + a? ) - (d? - a? ) / (d? ² - a? ²) ]
= 2λDa? / (d? ² - a? ²)

An unpolarised light beam of intensity 2l₀ is passed through a polaroid P and then through another polaroid Q which is oriented is such a way that its passing axis makes an angle of 30° relative to that of P. The intensity of the emergent light is

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$I = I_{0} c o s^{2} 30 °$

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In Young’s double slit experiment the two slits are 0.6mm distance apart. Interference pattern is observed on a screen at a distance 80cm from the slits. The first dark fringe is observed on the screen directly opposite to one of the slits. The wavelength of light will be__________nm.

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3d = 0.6mm

D = 80cm

= 800mm

Path difference is given by

BP – Andhra Pradesh = Dx

$\Rightarrow \frac{d y}{D} = (2 n + 1) \frac{λ}{2}$ [for Dark fringe at P]

n = 0, for first dark fringe

$\frac{d y}{D} = \frac{λ}{2}$

$λ = \frac{2 d}{D} y$

$= \frac{2 d}{D} \times \frac{d}{2} [y = \frac{d}{2}, G i v e n$ first dark fringe is observed on the screen directly opposite to one of the slits]

$λ = \frac{2 \times 0.6 \times 0.6}{800 \times 2}$

$λ = 450 m m$

In a Young's double slit experiment, the separation between the slits is $0.15 m m$ . In the experiment, a source of light of wavelength $589 n m$ is used and the interference pattern is observed on a screen kept $1.5 m$ away. The separation between the successive bright fringes on the screen is:

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$\frac{Energy}{Volume} = \frac{{M L}^{2} T^{- 2}}{L^{3}} = ({M L}^{- 1} T^{- 2})$

The distance between two successive bright fringes is fringe width $(β)$ .

$β = \frac{λ D}{d} = \frac{589 \times 10^{- 9} \times 1.5}{0.15 \times 10^{- 3}} = 5.9 m m$

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