ABSTRACT

The Experiment 405 is all about diffraction which is the slight bending of light as it
passes around the edge of an object. By using Snells Law formula, the group was able to get
the angle of refraction. Based on the results obtained by the group, the light waves reaching a
given point on the screen each arrive from a different part of the slit, so their amplitudes must
be added, and a pattern results. The pattern formed by the interference and diffraction of
coherent light is distinctly different for a single and double slit. The single slit intensity
envelope is shown by the dashed line and that of the double slit for a particular wavelength
and slit width is shown by the solid line. In conclusion, the absolute minima or maxima is
directly proportional to their patterns positions.

CONCLUSION

In this experiment, we were able to explore the phenomenon of diffraction of light,

and to compare a single slit diffraction and two slit interference. The diffraction is described
as the apparent bending of waves around small obstacles and the spreading out of waves past
small openings, while the interference is two waves superimpose to form a resultant wave of
greater or lower amplitude. Constructive interference occurs when the phase difference
between the waves is a multiple of 2, whereas destructive interference occurs when the
difference is , 3, 5, etc. the distance of every minima and maxima are equal to each other.
The measurement of the minima and maxima increases as the slit decreases. The
measurement of the minima and maxima decreases as the distance of the screen to the slit
decreases. We must also consider several factor in performing the experiment, we must know
what kind of color the laser produces in able to know the wavelength of that specific color
because every color have different wavelength. In real life application, for diffraction, if a
radio is turned on in one room, the sound from the radio can be heard in an adjacent room
even from around a doorway. An example of interference also radio waves which interfere
with each other when they bounce off buildings in cities, distorting radio signals. Soundwave interference must be taken into account when constructing concert halls, so that
destructive interference does not result in areas in the hall where the sounds produced on
stage cannot be heard.

SAMPLE COMPUTATION

Table 1
Given:
a=0.16 mm ; x=90 cm

y m=

m1=0.40 cm

(0.40)(0.16)
1(90)

=711.11nm

m2=0.75 cm

(0.75)(0.16)
2(90)

=666.67 nm

m3=0.40 cm

(1.10)(0.16)
3(90)

=651.85 nm

m1=1.10 cm

(0.40)(0.16)
1(90)

=711.11nm

m2=0.75 cm

(0.75)(0.16)
2(90)

=666.67 nm

m3=1.10 cm

(1.10)(0.16)
3(90)

=651.85 nm

mx
a

Ave =

711.11+ 666.67+651.85
3

average =676.54 nm

Calculated

ym a
mx

%error=

676.54670
100
670

%error=0.98

Table 2
Given:
a=0.08 mm ; d=0.50 mm ; x=90 cm

y m=

m1=1.20 cm

(1.20)(0.50)
1(90)

=666.67 nm

m2=2.30 cm

(2.30)(0.50)
2(90)

=638.89 nm

m3=3.70 cm

(3.70)(0.50)
3(90)

=685.19 nm

m1=1.20 cm

(1.20)(0.50)
1(90)

m2=2.30 cm

(2.30)(0.50)
2(90)

=638.89 nm

m3=3.70 cm

(3.70)(0.50)
3(90)

=685.19 nm

mx
d

Ave =

=666.67 nm

666.67+638.89+ 685.19
3

average =663.58 nm

Calculated

ym d
mx

%error=

670663.58
100
670

%error=0.96