Question 42 of 46
Q.Mention two major differences between interference and diffraction of light.
West Bengal WbchseWest Bengal HS (WBCHSE) Board 2026Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
91% · 42/46 Questions
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Two clear distinctions: interference comes from two coherent sources with equally spaced, equally bright fringes; diffraction comes from different parts of one wavefront with unequally spaced fringes of decreasing intensity.
Difference 1 - Origin/sources:
- Interference results from the superposition of two (or more) separate coherent wavefronts (e.g. the two slits in Young's experiment).
- Diffraction results from the superposition of secondary wavelets originating from different points of the same single wavefront (e.g. one slit).
Difference 2 - Nature of the fringes:
- In interference, all bright (and dark) fringes are equally spaced and, ideally, of the same intensity.
- In diffraction, the fringes are not equally spaced; the central maximum is the widest and brightest, and the intensity of successive maxima decreases rapidly on either side. …
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