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Question 42 of 46

Q.Mention two major differences between interference and diffraction of light.

West Bengal WbchseWest Bengal HS (WBCHSE) Board 2026Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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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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