A laboratory moves the viewing screen farther from a double-slit while all other…
PHYSICS · Single correct · A Level · Physics · Waves · Waves
Problem
A laboratory moves the viewing screen farther from a double-slit while all other parameters remain unchanged. Which statement best describes the effect on the separation between successive bright fringes on the screen?
(a) The separation remains unchanged because the distance to the screen cancels out of the governing equation.
(b) The separation decreases because the additional distance allows the light waves to spread out more.
(c) The separation increases because the distance to the screen appears in the numerator of the proportional relationship.
(d) The separation increases, but only for the central few fringes; farther out, diffraction from each slit forces them back together.