THE DIFFRACTION GRATING

INTRODUCTION
During this laboratory work you experimentally investigate light diffraction in the diffraction
grating and determine the waveelength of gas spectral lines. Before starting the work you should be
familiar with the diffraction phenomena, diffraction gratings and diffraction spectra.
Diffraction is the bending of light around a small obstacle. It is observed, when of dimension of
the obstacle is of order of wavelegth. When a plan wave is normally incident on an array of parallel
equidistant slits (diffraction grating) a system of interference fringes is always produced. Diffraction
actually is accomapnied by interference, because the slits may be treated as coherent light sources. The
obtained non-uniform distribution of light intensity as the first approsimamation may be represented as a
set of bright fringes ( or principal diffracttion maximum) observed at some angles 𝜑𝑘 meeting following
condition
𝑑𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜑𝑘 = 𝑘𝜆,
Where 𝑑 is spacing of diffraction grating, 𝜆 is wavelength of the incident light and 𝑘 is number of
diffraction order. Actually, this is condition for two adjacent slits to produce constructive interference.
The position of diffraction maximum (𝜑𝑘 value) also depent on the wavelength. Therefore is a case
of monochromatic light all the diffraction maximum are the same colour, which there is repeatedly
observed spectral decomposition of white light.
EQUIPMENT
For this work is used the following equipement:
1. Two ligh sources (𝑆): an incandescent lamp
K G providing countinous spectrum of the visible light and
S
Z mercury vapour providing linear spectrum (Fig. 1).
2. Spectroscope (Fig. 2) with the diffraction grating
for observation of the difraction spectra and
measurements of diffraction angles. It consists of
Fig. 1
collimator (𝐾), holder of the diffraction grating (𝐺),
occular (𝑍), angle meter with illumination lamp and
magnifier.

Fig. 2 Spectrometer

where 1- colimator tube 2- binocular tube, 3 – table of diffraction grating, 4 – diffraction grating, 5-scale
(anglemeter), 6- nonium scale, 7- magnifying lens, 8 – slit, 9 -screw for regulations of slit’s width, 10 –
screw for fine adjustment of collimator’s slit, 11 – ocular, 12 – screw for scale fixing. 13 - crew of spirit
level, 14 - knob for focusing of ocular tube.
 PROCEDURE
1. Turn on the power of the continous light source and place the collimator agaist the output slit of
the source. Turning the ocular find such position, when the diffraction spectrum is clearly visible.
2. Find the maximum corespons to the zero (𝑛 = 0) maximum for the monochromatic light. For the
white light this maximum is white, while the rest are coloured).
3. Practice in measuring with some part of the diffraction spectrum and read the angle. Take into
accoun the smalest division of the anglemeter scale is 0.5 = 30’. The scale of nonium 6 consists
30′ 1′
of 30 divisions (the value of one division is 𝑘 ′ = 30 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 .
4. Choose two clearly visible diffraction maximum of different order and three spectral line of
different colour in all spectra. For each spectral line measure its angular position in both left and
right parts of the first order lines. Repeat the same measurements for the second order lines (total
number and angle measurements is 3 ∙ 2 ∙ 2 = 12).
5. Turn the power off.

ANALYSIS
1. For each pair of angle measurements corresponding to the left and right maximu determine the
actual angular positions:
|𝜑𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 − 𝜑𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 |
𝜑𝑘 =
2
where 𝑘 is the spectrum order.
2. For each angular position determine the wavelength of the light:
𝑑
𝜆 = (𝑘 ) 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜑𝑘 ,
where 𝑑 is the grating spacing.
3. For each spectral line determine the average wavelength.

Diffraction 𝜑𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 Average of 𝜑𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 Average of =

order angle angle (+)/2
𝜑𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 . right. k Wavelengt
h of light

k =  =

k =  =
 QUESTIONS
1. What is light diffraction?
2. Why the different points of a diffraction pattern can have different intensity?
3. What is diffraction grating?
4. What diffraction pattern is produced by the diffraction grating illuminated by the parallel
monochromatic light beam?
5. What diffraction patterns are produced by the diffraction grating illuminated by a parallel beam
of white light and linear spectrum?
6. Explain the formation of diffractoin pattern ( i. e light intensity distribution) produced by the
diffraction grating illuminated by monochromatic light.
7. Explain how diffraction grating can be used to determine wavelegth.