Question

A single-slit diffraction pattern is formed on a distant screen. Assuming the angles involved are small, by what factor will the width of the central bright spot on the screen change if the slit width is doubled?
a. It will become four times as large.
b. It will double.
c. It will be cut in half.
d. It will become eight times as large.
e. It will be cut to one-quarter its original size.

Answer 1

Answer:

c : it wil be cut in half.

The pattern is formed on a distant screen so we can use the Fraunhofer difracction for a single slit. The formula of the width of the central bright spot is given by Δx = (2λz)/a, where λ is the wavelength and a is the width of the slit. So if the inicial width (a_1) is doubled (a_2= 2 x a_1),the width of the central spot will be cut in half Δx = (2λz)/a_2 = (2λz)/2xa_1 .