Diffraction

Need to know

What you need to know

• $d$: The slit spacing (distance between adjacent slits). Often calculated from the number of lines per unit length (e.g., $d = 1 / N$, where $N$ is lines per metre).
• $\theta$: The angle of the $n$-th order maximum relative to the central ($n=0$) maximum.
• $\lambda$: The wavelength of the incident light.
• $n$: The order of the maximum (an integer: \$0, 1, 2, ...$).

Explanation

Diffraction

1. $d$: The slit spacing (distance between adjacent slits). Often calculated from the number of lines per unit length (e.g., $d = 1 / N$, where $N$ is lines per metre).
2. $\theta$: The angle of the $n$-th order maximum relative to the central ($n=0$) maximum.
3. $\lambda$: The wavelength of the incident light.
4. $n$: The order of the maximum (an integer: \$0, 1, 2, ...$).