A level physics doubt about a Diffraction grating

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem in optics, specifically related to diffraction gratings and the observation of maxima produced by monochromatic light. The original poster presents a scenario involving light of a specific wavelength passing through a grating with a defined number of lines per millimeter.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply the diffraction equation but expresses uncertainty regarding the angle needed for calculations. Some participants inquire about the specific challenges faced and encourage the poster to provide more context and detail about their attempts.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants seeking further clarification from the original poster about their thought process and calculations. There is a recognition of the need for more detailed effort in the problem-solving approach, but no consensus or resolution has been reached yet.

Contextual Notes

The original poster indicates a lack of clarity regarding the angle to use in their calculations, which may be a critical factor in solving the problem. Additionally, there is a mention of confusion leading to incorrect answers, suggesting potential misunderstandings of the problem setup.

Atomsmasher2001
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Homework Statement


Monochromatic light of wavelength 690nm passes through a diffraction grating with 300 lines per mm, producing a series of maxima on a screen. What is the greatest number of maximas that can be observed?
A) 4
B) 5
C) 8
D) 9

Homework Equations


n*wavelength = d*sin x

The Attempt at a Solution



Well, I took it as: wavelength= 690x10^-9 m
D = 300 x 10^-3 m
So I tried substituting in the equation but I didn’t know what angle to take. So yeah that’s where I’m stuck.[/B]
 
Last edited:
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What have you tried? Where exactly are you stuck?
 
renec112 said:
What have you tried? Where exactly are you stuck?

Well, I took it as: wavelength= 690x10^-9 m
D = 300 x 10^-3 m
So I tried substituting in the equation but I didn’t know what angle to take. So yeah that’s where I’m stuck.
 
@Atomsmasher2001 In general, please give us some more context in section two of the template and show more effort to solve the problem in section three. Usually you will have made some considerations, drawings or even calculations, so show them. I counted your previous post #3 as such an effort, although it lacks more than it shows.
 
fresh_42 said:
@Atomsmasher2001 In general, please give us some more context in section two of the template and show more effort to solve the problem in section three. Usually you will have made some considerations, drawings or even calculations, so show them. I counted your previous post #3 as such an effort, although it lacks more than it shows.
Ok sorry. But this is all the relevant formulas for this. My working I’ll show more. But I have no clue for this so I’m getting a completely wrong answer(not even close to the options).
 

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