Final answer:
In an interference pattern, red maxima appear further out than violet maxima because red light has a longer wavelength, which bends more when passing through slits, causing it to spread out more.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why does the red maxima appear further out on a white interference pattern? The phenomenon of light interference explains this occurrence. When white light passes through a double slit, it splits into its composite colors due to diffraction, creating an interference pattern. The position of the maxima in an interference pattern is determined by the wavelength of the light, with longer wavelengths bending more and, hence, spacing out further from the central maximum. Since red light has a longer wavelength (700 nm) compared to violet light (400 nm), the red maxima are located further from the central maximum than the violet ones.
In a multiple slit setup, secondary maxima appear between the principal maxima. The number of secondary maxima increases with the number of slits, but the principal maxima become brighter and more narrow. Whether considering a double-slit or multiple-slit interference, the higher wavelength components (such as red light) will have a more significant angle of diffraction and therefore appear further out in the pattern compared to lower wavelength components (such as violet light).