In sections I and II of the tutorial A model for single-slit diffraction, you de

Question

In sections I and II of the tutorial A model for single-slit diffraction, you developed a method for determining the angle to the first minimum in a single-slit diffraction pattern. In this homework, the method will be extended and applied to determine the locations of the higher-order minima. a. Monochromatic light from a distant point source passes through a mask that contains four identical very narrow evenly-spaced slits. Suppose that the rightmost two slits (i.e., slits 3 and 4) are covered. The diagram at right shows the direction to point M, a point on a distant screen where there is a first interference minimum due to the leftmost two slits (i.e., slits 1 and 2). i. Would the light that passes through the rightmost pair of slits alone (i.e., slits 3 and 4) also yield a first interference minimum at point M? Explain.

Explanation / Answer

All the slits are evenly spaced and have same width. So, I think they would yield a first interference minimum at point M because the path length difference between 1 and 2 is the same as 3 and 4, and if 1 and 2 alone yield a minimum, 3 and 4 should yield a minimum at point P as well.

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