This simulation displays the diffraction pattern of a single slit. Adjust the slit width, light wavelength, and screen distance to observe how the pattern changes.
The upper diagram (left canvas) shows the experimental setup: light (left) passes through the slit (center) and projects a pattern on the screen (right). The pattern (conceptually) is also visualized on the screen in the diagram.
Theoretical Fundamentals
The intensity of the diffraction pattern is described by:
\[ I(\theta) = I_0 \left( \frac{\sin \beta}{\beta} \right)^2 \]
where \(\beta = \frac{\pi a \sin \theta}{\lambda}\). For small angles, \(\sin \theta \approx \theta\), and the minima in the pattern are found when \(a \sin \theta = m \lambda\).
The position of these minima on the screen, at a distance \(D\), can be approximated by:
\[ y_m \approx \frac{m \lambda D}{a} \]