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Physics YDSE

In this we take a short peek on YDSE

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86 views

Physics YDSE

In this we take a short peek on YDSE

Uploaded by

jemuellordsond
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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You are on page 1/ 14

YOUNG’S DOUBLE

SLIT EXPERIMENT

INTRODUCTION:-
Young's double-slit experiment,
conducted by Thomas Young in
1801, marks a significant
milestone in the field of physics,
illustrating the dual nature of light
as both a wave and a particle.
During this period, scientists were
divided between two competing theories
about the nature of light: the particle theory,
championed by Isaac Newton, which
proposed that light was composed of tiny
particles, and the wave theory, which
suggested that light propagated in waves.

Young's contributions to this debate were


groundbreaking. He demonstrated that light
could create interference patterns, a
behavior typically associated with waves.
This observation challenged the prevailing
particle theory and provided compelling
evidence for the wave nature of light. The
interference patterns showed that light
waves could combine in ways that either
amplified or diminished the overall intensity,
a phenomenon known as constructive and
destructive interference.
INTERFERENCE
Consider a region in space where two or
more waves pass through at the same time.
According to the superposition principle, the
net displacement is simply given by the
vector or the algebraic sum of the individual
displacements. Interference is the
combination of two or more waves to form a

composite wave, based on such principle.


The idea of the superposition principle is
and interference is illustrated below.

In order to form an interference pattern, the


incident light must satisfy two conditions:
(i) The light sources must be coherent. This
means that the plane waves from the
sources must maintain a constant phase
relation.
(ii) The light must be monochromatic.
THE EXPERIMENT
To conduct Young's double-slit experiment,
begin by securing a coherent light source,
such as a laser, which emits light of a single
wavelength. This is crucial because
coherence ensures that the light waves
maintain a constant phase relationship,
essential for observing interference
patterns. Next, set up a barrier with two
closely spaced slits, ensuring the slits are
narrow and parallel to each other. Position
this barrier about 1 to 2 meters from the
light source to allow the light to spread
adequately before reaching the slits. When
you turn on the laser, the light beam will
pass through the two slits, creating
overlapping wavefronts that emanate from
each slit. As these waves propagate, they
interact with each other; where the peaks of
the waves from both slits align, they
reinforce each other, creating bright areas
known as constructive interference.
Conversely, where a peak from one wave
aligns with a trough from the other wave,
they cancel each other out, resulting in dark
areas known as destructive interference.
you will observe an interference pattern on
the screen, characterized by alternating
bright and dark bands. The spacing and
intensity of these fringes depend on several
factors, including the wavelength of the light
used, the distance between the slits, and
the distance from the slits to the screen. By
measuring the distances between the bright
fringes and applying the principles of wave
interference, you can derive the wavelength
of the light source.
INFERENCE FROM
YDSE
The results of Young's double-slit
experiment manifest as a striking
interference pattern on the observation
screen, characterized by a series of
alternating bright and dark fringes. The
bright fringes, or maxima, occur at specific
angles where the light waves from the two
slits arrive in phase, meaning their peaks

coincide. The dark fringes, or minima,


appear where the light waves arrive out of
phase, leading to cancellation of light and
creating regions of darkness.
The spacing between these fringes is
uniform and can be observed as a regular
pattern across the screen. The central
maximum typically is the brightest, followed
by progressively dimmer fringes as one
moves away from the center.

Derivation of Young’s
Double Slit Experiment
Consider a monochromatic light source ‘S’
kept at a considerable distance from two
slits: s1 and s2. S is equidistant from s1 and
s2. s1 and s2 behave as two coherent sources
as both are derived from S.
The light passes through these slits and falls
on a screen which is at a distance ‘D’ from
the position of slits s1 and s2. ‘d’ is the
separation between two slits.
xd
δ =D

For constructive interference


δ = nλ
xd
D =nλ

Xn
= nλD
d

For destructive interference

δn
=(n- 12 )λ
Xn
=(2 n−1)
2d
λD

For constructive to appear bright


I=4I 0

For destructive to appear dark


I=0

Band width OR Fringe


Width(β)
Bandwidth is the distance between
consecutive bright or dark band and
thus its distance is calculated from
the starting of the first bright band
till the starting of the next bright
band. Hence it contains both a bright
and a dark band.
β =X +1-X =>Light
n n

= λd
D

β = D =>Dark
λd

Both the fringes are equally


spaced
IMPACT OF YDSE AND
CONCLUSION
Young's double-slit experiment (YDSE)
has had a profound impact on the
world of physics, fundamentally
altering our understanding of light and
matter. By demonstrating the wave-
like behavior of light through the
observation of interference patterns,
YDSE challenged the prevailing
particle theory of light and provided
compelling evidence for the wave
theory. This pivotal experiment not
only laid the groundwork for the
development of wave optics but also
set the stage for the emergence of
quantum mechanics. The implications
of YDSE extend beyond light; it has
inspired countless experiments
exploring the dual nature of particles,
leading to the realization that all
matter exhibits both wave and particle
characteristics. In conclusion, Young's
double-slit experiment remains a
cornerstone of scientific inquiry.

BIBILOGRAPHY
For the successful completion of this
project I have used these following
websites:-
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY:
https://web.mit.edu/8.02t/www/802T
EAL3D/visualizations/coursenotes/
modules/guide14.pdf
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/
suny-physics/chapter/27-3-youngs-
double-slit-experiment/
https://monica./home/Monica/
monica?convId=conv%3Ad901954a-
83df-4319-a2db-1401a874b35c
https://byjus.com/jee/youngs-double-
slit-experiment
https://www.vedantu.com/question-
answer/derive-an-expression-for-
bandwidth-of-class-12-physics-cbse-
5f996571f231cf558a0db3d2

-FIN-

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