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Question 78 of 83

Q.Using the geometry of the double slit experiment, derive the expression for fringe width of interference bands.

Maharashtra MsbshseMaharashtra HSC (MSBSHSE) Board 2024Subjective· 4mImportance★★★★★
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Fringe width from the geometric path-difference condition in Young's double slit.

Let two coherent slits S1S_1, S2S_2, separated by dd, be a distance DD from a screen (D≫dD \gg d). Consider a point P on the screen at distance xx from the centre O (the perpendicular bisector of S1S2S_1S_2).

Path difference at P: Δ=S2P−S1P\Delta = S_2P - S_1P. Using the geometry (and the small-angle/far-field approximation D≫d,xD\gg d,x):

S2P2−S1P2=[D2+(x+d2)2]−[D2+(x−d2)2]=2xdS_2P^2-S_1P^2 = \left[D^2+\left(x+\frac{d}{2}\right)^2\right]-\left[D^2+\left(x-\frac{d}{2}\right)^2\right] = 2xd

Δ=S2P−S1P=2xdS2P+S1P≈2xd2D=xdD\Delta = S_2P-S_1P = \frac{2xd}{S_2P+S_1P} \approx \frac{2xd}{2D} = \frac{xd}{D}

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