Question

Helium-neon laser light (λ = 6.33 × 10−7 m) is sent through a 0.30 mm-wide single slit. What is the width of the central maximum on a screen 1.0 m from the slit?

Answer 1

The width is
`w_c = 0.00422 \ m`

Step-by-step explanation:

From the question we are told that

The wavelength is
`\lambda = 6.33*10^(-7) \ m`

The width of the slit is
`d = 0.3\ mm = 0.3 *10^(-3) \ m`

The distance of the screen is
`D = 1.0 \ m`

Generally the central maximum is mathematically represented as

`w_c = 2 * y`

Here y is the width of the first order maxima which is mathematically represented as

`y = (\lambda * D)/(d)`

substituting values

`y = (6.33*10^(-7) * 1.0)/( 0.30)`

`y = 0.00211 \ m`

So

`w_c = 2 *0.00211`

`w_c = 0.00422 \ m`