Final answer:
The second-order maximum and first minimum in a double slit experiment cannot be precisely estimated by simply doubling the angle of the first-order maximum. They must be calculated with the specific double slit equation. The highest-order maximum is constrained by the maximum possible value of sin(θ) which is 1.
Step-by-step explanation:
Answers to Young's Double Slit Experiment Questions
In Young's double slit experiment, the position of maxima and minima on the screen is determined by the interference pattern created by the superposition of light waves from the two slits. The formula to calculate the angle of maxima and minima is given by d*sin(θ) = m*λ for maxima and d*sin(θ) = (m+0.5)*λ for minima, where d is the separation between the slits, θ is the angle of diffraction, m denotes the order of the maximum, and λ is the wavelength of the light.
(a) If the first-order maximum occurs at 10.0°, it does not imply that the second-order maximum will occur at a simple multiple of that angle due to the nonlinear relationship between the angle and the order in the sine function. However, if we assume that the diffraction pattern is such that angles remain small and sin(θ) ≈ θ (in radians), we could approximately double the angle to estimate the second-order maximum. This would give an answer close to 20.0°, but due to the fact that this is an approximation, it is essential to calculate it precisely using the double slit formula.
(b) The first minimum occurs when m equals 0. Using the formula for minima, the angle can be found accordingly. Typically, the angle for the first minimum is not at a value half that of the first-order maximum.
(c) The highest-order maximum possible is limited by the condition sin(θ) <= 1. This means there is a physical limit to how high the order can be before the angle required would exceed what is possible for sin(θ).