North Berwick High School

Department of Physics

Higher Physics

Unit 2 Particles and Waves

Section 5 Interference and Diffraction
Section 5 Interference and Diffraction
Note Making
Make a dictionary with the meanings of any new words.

Interference
1. Define the term interference and explain how constructive and
destructive interference is produced.

2. Show how interference can be produced from one set of waves

Interference of light
1. Show how interference can be achieved using light waves.

Path difference and interference

1. Describe an experiment to show the relationship between path
difference and interference. Include equations and the example on
pages 6 and 7.

The grating and monochromatic light

1. Describe how interference is produced by a grating. Include the grating
equation and an example.

Grating and white light

1. Explain the pattern produced by the grating and white light.
Section 5 Interference and Diffraction

Contents

Content Statements.........................................................................................1
Interference .................................................................................................... 2
Constructive interference ............................................................................... 2
Destructive interference ................................................................................. 2
Coherent sources ............................................................................................ 2
Interference of water waves........................................................................... 3
Interference from one set of waves ............................................................... 4
Interference of light ........................................................................................ 4
Path difference and interference ................................................................... 5
Example........................................................................................................... 6
The grating and monochromatic light ............................................................ 7
Grating equation ............................................................................................. 8
Example........................................................................................................... 8
Approximate values of wavelengths .............................................................. 9
Grating and white light ................................................................................... 9
Problems ....................................................................................................... 11
Solutions ....................................................................................................... 16
 Content Statements
Content Notes Context

a) Conditions for Coherent waves have a Interference patterns with

constructive and constant phase relationship microwaves, radio waves, sound,
destructive and have the same light and electrons.
interference. frequency, wavelength and Holography. Industrial imaging of
velocity. Constructive and surfaces-curvature and stress
destructive interference in analysis.
terms of phase between Lens blooming.
two waves. Interference colours (jewellery,
petrol films, soap bubbles).

b) Interference of Maxima and minima are Interferometers to measure small

waves using two produced when the path changes in path difference.
coherent difference between waves Use a spectroscope/
sources. is a whole number of spectrometer/spectrophotometer to
wavelengths or an odd examine spectra from a number of
number of half light sources.
wavelengths respectively.
Investigations which lead
to the relationship
between the wavelength,
distance between the
sources, distance from the
sources and the spacing
between maxima or
minima.

c) Gratings Monochromatic light can

be used with a grating to
investigate the relationship
between the grating
spacing, wavelength and
angle to the maxima. A
white light source may be
used with a grating to
produce spectra. Compare
the spectra produced by
gratings and prisms.

1
Section 5 Interference and Diffraction

Interference
When two sets of waves meet, they combine to produce a new pattern. This
pattern can vary depending on the original wave direction, wavelength,
amplitude, etc. Waves can combine in one of two ways as illustrated below.

Constructive interference Destructive interference

Two sets of waves meet in phase. Two sets of waves meet completely out
of phase, i.e. 180° out of phase.

Two crests meet or two troughs meet to A crest meets a trough and combine to
produce a larger crest or trough. cancel each other out and produce no
wave at that point.

If the waves are not of equal amplitude,

then complete cancelling out does not
occur.

Coherent sources
Two sources are coherent if they have a constant phase difference. They will
have the same frequency. They often have the same amplitude.

2
Interference of water waves
If two point sources produce two sets of circular waves, they will overlap and
combine to produce an interference pattern.

The points of constructive interference form waves with larger amplitude and
the points of destructive interference produce calm water.

The positions of constructive interference and destructive interference form

alternate lines which spread out from between the sources. As you move
across a line parallel to the sources, you will therefore encounter alternate
large waves and calm water.

3
 Interference from one set of waves
It is possible to produce interference from one
source of waves by division of the wavefront. Plane
waves are made to pass through two small gaps
(similar in size to the wavelength) to produce two
coherent sources of circular waves by diffraction.
These will then interfere as before.

Interference of light
Two sources of coherent light are needed to produce an interference pattern.
Two separate light sources such as lamps cannot be used to do this, as there is
no guarantee that they will be coherent (same phase difference).

The two sources are created by producing two sets of waves from one
monochromatic (single frequency) source using the principle above. A laser is
a good source of this type of light.

Monochromatic Light
source
Double slit. Slit size – 10-7m

Alternate series of light and dark lines (fringes).

Light fringe, waves arrive in phase, constructive.
Dark fringe, waves arrive out of phase, destructive.
Interference can only be explained in terms of wave behaviour and as a result,
interference is taken as proof of wave motion.

Historically, the original version of this experiment with two slits by Thomas
Young proved that light did, in fact, travel in the form of waves.

4
Path difference and interference
An interference pattern is more easily explained in terms of path difference.
Consider an interference pattern produced by two coherent wave sources as
below.

Take a point P in the interference pattern.

The central, or zero order maximum has zero path difference, as it is
equidistant from each source.
As you move across the pattern away from the zero order, the first order
maximum is reached. This is the next point where the waves arrive in phase;
the waves here have a path difference of 1, the waves from one source have
travelled 1 further than the waves from the other source.

Similarly, the path difference to the second order maximum would be 2 and
so on.
The zero order minimum, the minimum next to the central maximum, is
reached at the first point the waves arrive out of phase; the waves here have
1
a path difference of .
2

3
Similarly, the path difference to the next minimum would be  and so on.
2

5
In general:

For a maximum path difference, S2P – S1P = n Whole number of 

1 1
For a minimum path difference, S2P – S1P = (n + ) Odd number of .
2 2

The term ‘order’ for a maximum or minimum is simply the value of n in the
above equations. For a maximum this is straightforward. When n = 1 we have
the first maximum. However, for a minimum some care is required. The first
minimum, the minimum next to the central bright band, is the ‘zero order
minimum’ with n = 0. In most cases a simple diagram is useful.

Example
If distances AC and BC are 51 cm and 63 cm respectively, and point C is the
third order maximum, determine the wavelength of the source.

Path difference BC – AC = 12 cm.

For third order maximum, path difference = 3.

3 = 12 cm,

so 1 = 4 cm.

6
If the above source was replaced by another with wavelength 8 cm, what
effect would be produced at point C?

Path difference BC – AC = 12 cm, as before.

12 3 3 1
If  = 8 cm:  Therefore the path difference = or 1 .
8 2 2 2

Point C would be the second minimum above the central bright band (or the
‘first order minimum’).

The pattern is now more spaced out.

The grating and monochromatic light

A grating consists of many equally spaced slits positioned extremely close
together (e.g. 300 lines per mm). Light is diffracted through each slit and
interference takes place in a similar fashion to the double slit. The advantage
of the grating is that much more light is transmitted through and a clearer
interference pattern is seen.

7
Grating equation

n = d sin

For a grating,

Where: n = order of the maximum

 = wavelength of light
d = separation of slits
 = angle from zero order to nth maximum.
 and d must be in metres.

n
If the above formula is rearranged to sin = ,
d
then it can be seen that to increase , the separation of the maxima, you can:

increase the wavelength, i.e. move from blue towards red light
decrease the slit separation, i.e. have more lines per mm.

Also notice that moving the screen further away will also increase the
distance between the maxima.

Example
A diffraction grating with 300 lines per mm is used to produce an interference
pattern.
The second order maximum is obtained at a diffracted angle of 19°. Calculate
the wavelength of the light.

Using the formula: n  d sin 

d  1 / 300mm  3.33 x 10 3 mm  3.33 x 10 6 m

n2
  19 o

8
 2    3.33  106 sin19
5.4  10-7 m or 540 nm

Approximate values of wavelengths

Red 700 mm = 7 × 10-7 m

Green 540 nm = 5.4 × 10-7 m

Blue 490 nm = 4.9 × 10-7 m.

Grating and white light

It is possible to use a grating to observe the interference pattern obtained
from a white light source. Since white light consists of many different
frequencies (wavelengths), the fringe pattern produced is not as simple as
that obtained from monochromatic light.

zero order – central fringe

first order spectrum

second order spectrum

Each fringe appears as a visible spectrum, apart from the

central white fringe. Red is deviated the most, violet is
deviated the least.

9
Explanation
The central fringe is white because, at that position, the path difference for all
wavelengths present is zero, therefore all wavelengths will arrive in phase.
The central fringe is therefore the same colour as the source (in this case,
white).

The first maximum occurs when the path difference is 1. Since blue light has
a shorter wavelength than red light, the path difference will be smaller, so the
blue maximum will appear closer to the centre. Each colour will produce a
maximum in a slightly different position and so the colours spread out into a
spectrum.

These effects can also be explained using the formula dsin = n.

If d and n are fixed, the angle  depends on the wavelength. So, for any given
fringe number, the red light, with a longer wavelength, will be seen at a
greater angle than the blue light.

The higher order spectra overlap.

10
Problems

Interference and diffraction

1. Explain how it is possible for interference to occur in the following

situations:

a single loudspeaker emitting sound in a room with no other objects in

the room

receiving radio reception in a car when passing large buildings.

2. In an experiment on interference of sound, two loudspeakers A and B

are connected in such a way that they emit coherent sound waves.

The loudspeakers are placed 2 m apart.

As a girl walks from X to Y she hears a point of maximum loudness at

point P and the next maximum of loudness at point Q.

Calculate the distances AQ and BQ.

Calculate the wavelength of the sound.
Calculate the frequency of the sound.
(speed of sound in air is 330 m s1)

11
3. A microwave transmitter is placed in front of a metal plate that has
two slits A and B as shown.

A microwave detector is moved along the line from C to D.

The zero- order maximum of radiation is detected at C and the first-

order maximum is detected at D.

AD = 0·52 m and BD = 0·55 m.

a) Calculate the path difference between paths AD and BC.

b) What is the wavelength of the microwaves?
c) Calculate the path difference from slits A and B to the second-
order maximum.
d) Calculate the path difference from slits A and B to the minimum
of intensity between C and D.
e) Calculate the path difference from slits A and B to the next
minimum after D.
f) What is the path difference from slits A and B to point C?

12
4. A microwave interference experiment is set up as shown.

E and F are two slits in a metal plate. A microwave detector is moved

along the line GH.

H is the second minimum from the straight through point at G. (This is

sometimes called the first-order (n = 1) minimum, the first minimum
being the zero order n = 0)

Measurement of distances EH and FH gives: EH = 0·421 m and

FH = 0·466 m.

Calculate the wavelength and frequency of the microwaves used.

5. A microwave experiment is set up as shown.

The waves reflected from the metal reflector plate interfere with the
incident waves from the source. As the reflector is moved away from
the detector, a series of maxima and minima are recorded by the
detector.

A maximum is found when the reflector is at a distance of 0·25 m from

the detector. A further eight maxima are found as the reflector is
moved to a distance of 0·378 m from the detector.

13
 a) Calculate the average distance between the maxima.
b) Calculate the wavelength of the microwaves.
c) Calculate the frequency of the microwaves.

6. A grating has 400 lines per millimetre.

Calculate the spacing between the lines on this grating.

7. A grating with 600 lines per millimetre is used with a monochromatic

source of light. The first-order maximum is produced at an angle of
20·5 to the straight through position.

Calculate the wavelength of the light from the source.

A grating with 1200 lines per millimetre is now used.

Calculate the angle between the zero maximum and the new first-
order maximum.

8. Light of wavelength 600 nm is shone onto a grating having 400, 000

lines per metre.

Calculate the angle between the zero maximum and first-order

maximum.

9. Light of wavelength 6·50 × 107 m is shone onto a grating. The angle

between the zero- and third-order maxima is 31.5.

(a) Calculate the spacing between the slits on the grating.

(b) Calculate the number of lines per mm on the grating.

10. Light of wavelength 500 nm is used with a grating having 500 lines per
millimetre.

Calculate the angle between the first- and second-order maxima.

14
11. White light, with a range of wavelengths from 440 nm to 730 nm, is
shone onto a grating having 500 lines per millimetre. A screen is
placed behind the grating.

a) Describe the pattern seen on the screen.

b) Explain the type of pattern produced.

c) Calculate the angle between the extremes of the first-order

maximum, ie the angle between violet and red.

12. A source of white light is set up in front of a grating. A green filter is

placed between the source and the grating. The grating has 300 lines
per millimetre.

A pattern of bright and dark bands is produced on a screen.

a) What is the colour of the bright bands produced on the screen?

Explain what happens to the spacing between the bright bands on the
screen when each of the following changes is made:

b) using a blue filter instead of a green filter

c) using a grating with 600 lines per millimetre
d) using a source producing a greater irradiance of light
e) moving the screen closer to the grating.

15
Solutions

2. (a) AQ = 12·4 m, BQ = 13 m
(b) 0·6 m
(c) 550 Hz

3. (a) 3·0 × 102 m

(b) 3·0 × 102 m
(c) 6·0 × 102 m
(d) 1·5 × 102 m
(e) 4·5 × 102 m
(f) 0m

4. Wavelength = 3·0 × 102 m

Frequency = 1·0 × 10 10 Hz

5. (a) 0·016 m
(b) 3·2 × 102 m
(c) 9·4 × 109 Hz

6. 0·03 m

6. 2·5 × 106 m

7. (a) 5·84 × 107 m

(b) 44·5°

8. 13·9°

9. (a) 3·73 × 106 m

(b) 268

10. 15·5°

11. (c) 8·7°

16