NAME: Rajaswi Bele

ENROLLMENT NO.: A70405521015

B. Tech (AE), ASET, Division – B
__________________________________________________

DIFFRACTION GRATING

DIFFRACTION PATTERNS:
1 Slit

2 Slits
3 Slits

4 Slits
5 Slits

Multiple Slits Diffractions

OBSERVATION:
Here, it can be observed that,
• The progression to the larger number of slits shows a pattern of
narrowing the high intensity peaks and a relative increase in the peak
intensity.
• This progresses toward diffraction grating, with a large number of
extremely narrow slits. This gives a very narrow and a very high intensity
peaks that are separated widely. Since the position of the peaks depends
upon the wavelength of the light, this gives high resolution in the
separation of wavelengths.

DIFFRACTION GRATING:
A diffraction grating is made by making many parallel scratches on the surface of
a flat piece of some transparent material. It is possible to put some large number
of scratches per cm on the material. For example, the grating to be used has 6,000
lines per cm on it. The scratches are opaque but the areas between the scratches
can transmit the light through. Thus, a diffraction grating becomes a multitude for
the source with parallel slit, when light falls upon it.

A parallel bundle of the rays will fall on the grating. Rays and wavefront form an
orthogonal set so the wavefront will be perpendicular to the rays and parallel to
the grating. Here Huygens’ Principle is applicable.

According to it every point on a wavefront acts as a new source, and each

transparent slit becomes a new source so cylindrical wavefront spread out from
each.

If a peak falls on a valley consistently, then the waves cancel and no light exists
at that point. Also, if peaks fall on peaks and valleys fall on valleys consistently,
then the light is made brighter at that point. Diffraction is an alternative way to
observe spectra other than a prism.

EFFECT OF CHNAGING NUMBER OF LINES:

When the number of lines per mm are changed;

200 lines per mm:

350 lines per mm:

500 lines per mm

 • As the number of grating lines per mm increases, the number on lines on
the screen decreases.
• Also, the slit spacing also increases.
• And the intensity also increases.

EFFECT OF CHANGING WAVELENGTH:

Wavelength — 400 nm

Wavelength — 470 nm

Wavelength — 530 nm
Wavelength — 600 nm

Wavelength — 700 nm

• We can observe that as the wavelength increases the number of grating

lines on the screen decreases.
• And the slit spacing increases.

DIFFRACTION GRATING FORMULAE:

nλ=dsin(θ)
where n = 1, 2, 3, …

This is known as the DIFFRACTION GRATING EQUATION.

In this formula, θ is the angle of emergence at which a wavelength will be bright.
Also, d is the distance between slits.

Obviously,
d = 1/N, where N is the grating constant, and it is the number of lines per unit
length.
Also, n is the order of grating, which is a positive integer, representing the
repetition of the spectrum.

Thus by the formula, we can see that;

• As the number of lines per unit increases, the Ɵ also increases.
• And as the wavelength increases, Ɵ increases.

DIFFRACTION GRATING IN CASE OF A CD.

• Compact Discs (CD) streaks of colors when white light falls on them.
• A recording on a CD is in the form of microscopic pits of different lengths
that carry the information. These pits are placed in a row of the same
width and equal distance, which form a diffraction grating on the mirror
surface of the CD.

• The rows do not reflect nearly as much light as the portions of the disc
that separates them.
• In these portions the light reflected undergoes constructive interference
in certain directions.
• Therefore, when the white light is reflected from the disc each wavelength
of light can be seen at a particular angle.