DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL

JAIPUR
( A co-educational school affiliated to CBSE )

PHYSICS PROJECT REPORT

DIFFRACTION
APPLICATION IN DAY TO DAY LIFE

GUIDED BY: SUBMITTED BY:

Ms Sujata Singh NAME: YASHRAJ MORJHAWAL

CLASS: XII-B
DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL JAIPUR

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the physics project Diffraction Applications in
Day to Day life Physics has been submitted by the candidate
Yashraj Morjhawal with roll no ___________ for the Class XII
practical examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education in
the year 2023. It is further certified that this project is the individual
work of the candidate.

Teacher In charge External Examiner

Signature: Signature:
Date: Date:
 acknowledgement
In the accomplishment of this project certain people have
bestowed their blessings and hearty support.
I wish to thank all the people who have been associated with
this project. Apart from being grateful To the Almighty, I
would like to thank my principal Mrs. Rita Taneja and my
physics teacher
Mrs. Sujata Singh, whose invaluable guidance particularly has
helped me to complete this project.
I am highly obliged to my friends for their constant support
and help.
Last but not the least, I am most grateful to my parents for
their immense love and support.
 Index
1. INTRODUCTION

2. HISTORY

3. EXAMPLES AND APPLICATIONS

INTRODUCTION
What is Diffraction?
“Diffraction is a slight bending of light as
it passes around the edge of an object. The
amount of bending depends on the relative
size of the wavelength of light to the size
of the opening. If the opening is much
larger than the light’s wavelength, the
bending will be almost unnoticeable.”

EXPLANATION:

Diffraction refers to various phenomena

that occur when a wave encounters an
obstacle or a slit. It is defined as the
bending of light around the corners of an
obstacle or aperture into the region of
geometrical shadow of the obstacle.
• In classical physics, the diffraction
phenomenon is described as the
interference of waves according to the
Huygens– Fresnel principle.
Diffraction occurs with all
waves, including soundwaves,
water waves, and electromagnetic
waves such as visible light, rays and
radio waves.
History of diffraction
The effects of diffraction of light were
first carefully observed and
characterized by Francesco Maria
Grimaldi, who also coined the term
diffraction, from the Latin diffringere,
'to break into pieces', referring to light
breaking up into different directions

Isaac Newton studied these effects and

attributed them to inflexion of light
rays. Thomas Young performed an
experiment in 1803 demonstrating
interference from two closely spaced
slits. Explaining his results by
interference of the waves emanating
from the two Different slits, he deduced
that light must propagate as waves.
Examples and applications of diffraction:

1. CD reflecting rainbow colours:

So almost all of us have seen a rainbow formation on rainy
days. Well, rainbow is formed because water droplets in
the atmosphere separate white light into different colours
of the rainbow. Compact Disc (CD) also resembles the
same kind of colours when viewed from different angles.

Recorded data on CD is stored in microscopic pits of

different lengths which carries information in the CD.
These pits are placed in a row of the same width and at
equal distance. This forms a diffraction grating on the CD
mirror surface.
2. Diffraction of light in Sky after rain

In rainy season we are waiting to see the rainbow.

but how rainbow is formed? a simplest asked
question by many people. so, the reason behind the
formation of rainbow is due to the scattering of
white light into seven colours.

Rainbow is formed due to the diffraction of white

light in the sky in some cases. this happens as, in
rainy season the water droplets are present in the
sky. the water droplets are in the shape of
spherical and when a beam of white light falls on
the water droplets it diffracts the light in the sky
and formation of rainbow takes place.
3. Diffraction of light by optical instrument
In optical instrument like telescope, Microscope, camera
lenses etc. shows diffraction of light. camera lens are the
best examples of diffraction of light in our daily life. we can
easily observe the diffraction pattern in camera lenses.
After viewing the camera lenses from some angle in bright
sunlight, diffraction of light can easily observe.

4. Diffraction of light in diamond cut glass

Everyone saw a diamond cut glass in their life. diamond
cut glass are used in decorative items. If we see any
decorative items having a diamond cut glass on it, then we
will notice that when sunlight or other source of light falls
on the glass it diffracts light to another way and formed
seven colour like rainbow.

5. Diffraction Grating
First developed in the 1870s by American physicist Henry
Augustus Rowland . A diffraction grating is an optical
device that consists of not one but many thousands of
apertures: Rowland's machine used a fine diamond point
to rule glass gratings, with about 15,000 lines per in (2.2
cm). Diffraction gratings today can have as many as
100,000 apertures per inch. The apertures in a diffraction
grating are not mere holes, but extremely narrow parallel
slits that transform a beam of light into a spectrum.
Each of these openings diffracts the light beam, but
because they are evenly spaced and the same in width, the
diffracted waves experience constructive interference.
(The latter phenomenon, which describes a situation in
which two or more waves combine to produce a wave of
greater magnitude than either, is discussed in the essay on
Interference.) This constructive interference pattern
makes it possible to view components of the spectrum
separately, thus enabling a scientist to observe
characteristics ranging from the structure of atoms
and molecules to the chemical composition of stars.

6. Holograms
A hologram—a word derived from the
Greek holos, "whole," and gram, "message"—is a three-
dimensional (3-D) impression of an object, and the
method of producing these images is known as
holography. Holograms make use of laser beams that mix
at an angle, producing an interference pattern of
alternating bright and dark lines. The surface of the
hologram itself is a sort of diffraction grating, with
alternating strips of clear and opaque material. By mixing
a laser beam and the unfocused diffraction pattern of an
object, an image can be recorded. An illuminating laser
beam is diffracted at specific angles, in accordance with
Bragg's law, on the surfaces of the hologram, making it
possible for an observer to see a three-dimensional image.