Question

A single slit of width 0.0300 mm is used to project a diffraction pattern of 500 nm light on a screen at a distance of 2.00 m from the slit. What angle does the central maximum subtend as measured from the slit

Answer 1

A student has asked for the angle subtended by the central maximum in a single-slit diffraction pattern, which can be calculated by determining the angle to the first minimum and then doubling it.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the angle that the central maximum subtends in a single-slit diffraction pattern when monochromatic light of a specific wavelength is projected through a slit of a given width onto a screen at a certain distance. Using the formula for diffraction, θ = λ/d, where θ is the angle to the first minimum, λ is the wavelength of the light, and d is the width of the slit, we can find the angle that the central maximum subtends. Since the central maximum extends from the first minimum on one side to the first minimum on the other, we actually need to find the angle to the first minimum and double it. The given width of the slit is 0.0300 mm and the wavelength of the light is 500 nm, or 0.0005 mm. Plugging these numbers into the equation, we can find the angle to the first minimum, and then double it for the total subtended angle of the central maximum.