Diffraction and Interference Patterns of Light from a Helium-Neon Laser

What is the study of when light from a helium-neon laser with a wavelength of 633 nm is incident on a single slit?

a) Diffraction b) Interference c) Refraction d) Dispersion

Answer:

The question is about the study of light diffraction and interference patterns when a helium-neon laser with a wavelength of 633 nm is incident on a single slit, a principle concept in physics.

Explanation:

The phenomenon being described in the question is when light from a helium-neon laser with a wavelength of 633 nm is incident on a single slit. This setup is most commonly associated with the study of light diffraction and interference patterns. As light passes through the slit, it interacts with the edges and spreads out. The wave nature of light becomes apparent as it produces a pattern of bright and dark regions on a screen, which result from constructive and destructive interference. These interference patterns are essential in experiments such as Young's double-slit experiment, which confirms the wave nature of light.

In such experiments, the transmitted light intensity through a large number of slits can lead to narrow and bright principal maxima. The resulting interference pattern can be predicted using the wavelength of light, the dimensions of the slits, and the equation c = fλ, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum, f is the frequency, and λ is the wavelength.