KALINGA STATE UNIVERSITY
HUYGENS’S PRINCIPLE YOUNG’S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT
Huygens’s Principle developed by Christiaan Huygens
was a Dutch scientist - states that every point on a
wavefront is a source of wavelets, which spread forward
at the same speed.
 Diffraction is the concept that is explained using
Huygens’s Principle, and is defined as the bending
of a wave around the edges of an opening or an
obstacle.
 This principle can be used to define reflection, as
shown in the figure. It can also be used to explain
refraction and interference. Anything that
experiences this phenomenon is a wave. By applying
this theory to light passing through a slit, we can
prove it is a wave.
 The principle can be shown with the equation below:
s = vt
Where: s – distance: v – propagation speed: t – time
Each point on the wavefront emits a wave at speed, v.
The emitted waves are semicircular, and occur at t,
time later. The new wavefront is tangent to the
wavelets.
Straight Wavefront
Huygens’s principle applied to a straight wavefront.
Each point on the wavefront emits a semicircular
wavelet that moves a distance s=vt. The new
wavefront is a line tangent to the wavelets.
Huygens’s Refraction
Huygens’s principle applied to a straight wavefront
traveling from one medium to another where its speed is
less. The ray bends toward the perpendicular, since the
wavelets have a lower speed in the second medium.
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GENERAL PHYSICS 2: MODULE 7 Interference and Diffraction
Historical Note:
When Thomas Young published his result in 1802 he
encountered a great deal of criticism from the proponents
of Newton’s particle theory of light.
One objection was that the interference experiment was
inconsistent with the law of energy conservation (at points
of constructive interference, the light intensity is twice the
intensity calculated by adding the intensities associated
with each individual slit).
- Is energy conservation violated ?
Young was discouraged by the criticism of his work, and
gave up his research in optics for other endeavors.
(He made a major contribution to Egyptology by
deciphering the Rosetta stone. His theory of color vision
is widely cited today, so is his work on elasticity. He made
pioneering contributions in studies of sound, tides, and
human voice.)
 The double-slit experiment, also called Young’s
experiment, shows that matter and energy can display
both wave and particle characteristics.
In his experiment, he sent light through two closely
spaced vertical slits and observed the resulting pattern on
the wall behind them. The pattern that resulted can be seen
in.
Young’s Double Slit Experiment
Light is sent through two vertical slits and is
diffracted into a pattern of vertical lines spread out
horizontally. Without diffraction and interference,
the light would simply make two lines on the screen.
 Wave-Particle Duality
The wave characteristics of light cause the light to pass
through the slits and interfere with itself, producing the
light and dark areas on the wall behind the slits. The light
that appears on the wall behind the slits is scattered and
absorbed by the wall, which is a characteristic of a
particle.
Why was Young’s experiment so much more credible
than Huygens’?
Because, while Huygens’ was correct, he could not
demonstrate that light acted as a wave, while the double-
slit experiment shows this very clearly. Since light has
relatively short wavelengths, to show wave effects it must
interact with something small — Young’s small, closely
spaced slits worked.
 Constructive and Destructive Wave Interference
Constructive wave interference occurs when waves
interfere with each other crest-to-crest (peak-to-peak) or
trough-to-trough (valley-to-valley) and the waves are
exactly in phase with each other. This amplifies the
resultant wave.
GR ADE-12 STEM
KALINGA STATE UNIVERSITY GENERAL PHYSICS 2: MODULE 7 Interference and Diffraction

Destructive wave interference occurs when waves SINGLE SLIT DIFFRACTION

interfere with each other crest-to-trough (peak-to-valley)
Single slit diffraction is the phenomenon that occurs
and are exactly out of phase with each other. This
when waves pass through a narrow gap and bend, forming
cancels out any wave and results in no light. These
an interference pattern.
concepts are shown in.
In single slit diffraction, the diffraction pattern is
Practical Constructive and Destructive Wave determined by the wavelength and by the length of the slit.
Interference: Double slits produce two coherent
sources of waves that interfere. Figure shows a visualization of this pattern.

(a) Light spreads out (diffracts) from each slit because the
slits are narrow. These waves overlap and interfere
constructively (bright lines) and destructively (dark
regions). We can only see this if the light falls onto a
screen and is scattered into our eyes.

Single Slit Diffraction – One Wavelength:

Visualization of single slit diffraction when the
slit is equal to one wavelength.
 A slit that is wider than a single wave will produce
interference
The variation in wave intensity can be mathematically
modeled. From the center of the slit, the diffracting
waves propagate radially.
The angle of the minimum intensity (θmin) can be related
to wavelength (λ) and the slit’s width (d) such that:

The intensity (I) of waves at any angle can also be

calculated as a relation to slit width, wavelength and
intensity of the original waves before passing through
the slit:
(b) Double-slit interference pattern for water waves are
nearly identical to that for light. Wave action is greatest in
regions of constructive interference and least in regions of
destructive interference. where x is equal to:

 for multiple slit interference

dsinθmin = n(λ) ;where n is the number of slit
SAMPLE PROBLEM #1
Light with wavelength of 500 nm passes through a slit 0.2 mm
wide. The diffraction pattern on a screen 60 cm away. Determine
the distance between the central maximum and the second
minimum.

Given:
λ = 500 nm = 500 x 10-9 m = 5 x 10-7 m
d = 0.2 mm = 0.2 x 10-3 m = 2 x 10-4 m
(c) When light that has passed through double slits falls
l = 60 cm = 0.6 m ; n=2
on a screen, we see a pattern such as this. Required: y ?
Solution: The width of slit is very small compared to the
distance between the slit and the screen so that the angle is
very small. The angle is so small that the sin θ ≈ tan θ.
sin θ ≈ tan θ = y / l = y / 0.6
Equation of diffraction by a single slit (minima):
d sin θ = n λ
(2 x 10-4)(y/0.6) = (2)(5 x 10-7)
(2 x 10-4) y = (0.6)(10 x 10-7)
(2 x 10-4) y = 6 x 10-7
y = (6 x 10-7) / (2 x 10-4)
y = 3 x 10-3
y = 0.003 m
y = 3 mm

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KALINGA STATE UNIVERSITY GENERAL PHYSICS 2: MODULE 7 Interference and Diffraction

SAMPLE PROBLEM #2 Interference will be constructive if the optical path

Monochromatic light with wavelenght of 5000 Å (1 Å =
10−10 m) passes through single slit, produces diffraction
pattern the first maximum as shown in figure. Determine
the slit width.
difference is equal to an integer multiple of the
wavelength of light:
Where: m is the integer, d is
the thickness of the film, and λ is the wavelength of light.
ANALYSIS OF THIN FILM INTERFERENCE

Given :
λ = 5000Å = 5000 x 10-10 m = 5 x 10-7 m
sin 30⁰ = 0.5
n=1
Req’d: width of slit (d)
Solution :
d sin θ = n λ
d (0.5) = (1)(5 x 10-7)
d = (5 x 10-7) / (0.5)
d = 10 x 10-7 m
d = 1 x 10 -6 m
d = 1 x 10-3 mm
d = 0.001 mm
THIN FILM INTERFERENCE
Thin film interference occurs when incident light waves
reflected by the different layers of a thin film interfere and
form a new wave.
Examples of Thin Film Interference:
You have probably witnessed thin film interference in
your every day life and just not realized it.
 Whenever you see the bright, rainbow like colors in
oil floating in water.
 The colors that appear in bubbles that kids play with.
 Thin film interference can have commercial
applications, such as anti- reflection coatings and
optical filters.
How it Works

Light on a Thin Film:

Light incident on a thin film. Demonstration of the
optical path length difference for light reflected from the
upper and lower boundaries.

The diagram shows a diagram of how thin film

interference works. As light strikes the surface of a film it
is either transmitted or reflected at the upper surface.
 Light that is transmitted reaches the bottom surface
and may once again be transmitted or reflected.
 The light reflected from the upper and lower surfaces
will interfere. The degree of constructive or
destructive interference between the two light waves
is dependent upon the difference in their phase.
This difference is dependent upon the thickness of the film
layer, the refractive index of the film, and the angle of
incidence of the original wave on the film.
References:
*http://www.sfu.ca/phys/141/1134/Lectures/SP%20Lecture%2
029%20-%20Interference&Diffraction.pdf
*https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-
computer-science/6-007-electromagnetic-energy-from-motors-
to-lasers-spring-2011/lecture-notes/MIT6_007S11_lec27.pdf
*https://www.phys.hawaii.edu/~morse/P272fall10-27_pdf.pdf
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-
physics/chapter/diffraction/
*https://physics.gurumuda.net/diffraction-by-a-single-slit-
problems-and-solutions.htm

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