Diffraction Experiment with Simulation

This post was generated by using both the Wave Interference Simulator and Diffraction slides combined with red and green lasers.

Left: Representation of the slits on the slide, scaled up. Right: The resulting pattern produced from a laser, each pattern corresponds to the same area of the slide, ex; top left line of dots corresponds to top left set of slits.

1. After using the simulator you can arrive at the conclusion that the closer the slits are to one another, the more distance between the produced image. Also from previous experiments it can be inferred that a horizontal set of lits would produce a vertical set of dots. A good video to show whats happening on the small scale comes from the Dr Quantum series of cartoons.

2. By using a ratio of the distance from the slide to the image and similar ratios obtained through use of the PhET simulator it can be determined that the slits on the slide are aproximately 2200 nm apart. This is a pretty gross aproximation as when you scale it up the dots produced would be about 4cm apart and the dots we observed were spaced around 2cm apart.

3.

4. Green light is capable of measuring smaller things than red light, based on the change in wave lengths (green has a smaller wave length than red, therefore is capable of measuring smaller things).