Final answer:
The distance between the central maxima and a minima of order 17 in a light diffraction pattern is the same as given in the question, which is 678 nm. There are no further calculations required because the minima are equidistant from the central maxima.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the distance between a minima of order 17 and the central maxima is given as 678 nm, we can understand this problem as a part of the physics of light diffraction and interference patterns. The question seems to be simple because it asks for the distance between the same two points: the central maxima and a minima of order 17, so the answer would be the same, 678 nm. In interference patterns such as those formed by diffraction gratings or double slits, minima and maxima are symmetric about the central axis or central maxima, so the distance to a minima on one side is the same as the distance to the corresponding minima of the same order on the other side. Therefore, no additional calculations are necessary.