Question

In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band?

In a single slit diffraction experiment, the width of the slit is made double the original width. How does this affect the size and intensity of the central diffraction band? Explain

Answer 1

In a single slit diffraction experiment, if the width of the slit is made double the original width, then the size of the central diffraction band reduces to half and the intensity of the central diffraction band increases up to four times.

Answer 2

Size of central diffraction pattern = `(2"D"lambda)/"a"`

where a is the width of the slit. Thus, if the width of the single slit is doubled than the original width, then the size of the central diffraction pattern halves.

Now, as the size of the central diffraction pattern becomes half, the area of central diffraction pattern will become one-fourth. Thus, the intensity of central diffraction pattern will become four times.