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Questions 3-25 · Q15

Q.A double-slit arrangement produces interference fringes for sodium light (λ≈589\lambda \approx 589 nm) that are 0.20° apart. What is the angular fringe separation if the entire arrangement is immersed in water (n = 1.33)?

Maharashtra MsbshseTextbookSubjectiveImportance★★★★★
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The angular separation between adjacent fringes in a double-slit pattern is θ≈β/D=(λD/d)/D=λ/d\theta\approx\beta/D=(\lambda D/d)/D=\lambda/d -- notably, this depends on wavelength and slit separation ALONE, not on the screen distance D (which cancels out). Since the entire apparatus (including the slit separation d, a fixed physical quantity of the apparatus) is now immersed in water, only the WAVELENGTH changes, shrinking from its air value λair\lambda_{air} to λwater=λair/n\lambda_{water}=\lambda_{air}/n (Section 7.6, with n=1.33n=1.33 for water). Since θ∝λ\theta\propto\lambda directly ( …

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