Double Slit Experiment With White Light

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the appearance of the fringe pattern when white light passes through a double slit. Richard inquires whether the pattern would resemble a single beam that dims away from the center or if distinct fringes would still be visible due to the multiple frequencies of light. Responses indicate that while white light creates a central bright maximum, the varying wavelengths lead to overlapping fringes, resulting in a less defined pattern compared to monochromatic light like blue. The conversation also includes links to resources for further understanding of the double slit experiment. Overall, the effect of white light leads to a more complex and less distinct fringe pattern than that produced by a single frequency of light.
richardstan
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Hi,
I have a physics assignment which is asking me what the fringe pattern would look like if white light was passed through a double slit. Would it look like a single light which became gradually darker the further away it got from the central maximum?
Thanks in advance
Richard.
 
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I do not know what level of Physics you are working at. I have a wikipedia link which I will post below and a youtube video which might help. With the wikipedia extract, you might not need to read the whole thing but just pick out the bits that apply to your work, like I doubt you would need to know about Quantum versions of the experiment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc"

Hope this helped you.

_Mayday_
 
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Hi, i don't think i gave enough information in my question.
What would the fringe separation look like for white light (multiple frequencies) compared for example to blue light (one frequency). Would it look like a single beam which was bright in the middle and less bright as you went away from the middle, or would there still be several fringes which were less apparent because of all the different frequencies of light constructing in different places?
Thanks in Advance
Richard.
 
Hope this explains everything
http://www.itp.uni-hannover.de/~zawischa/ITP/bildchen/spalt03.png
 
Sparkle2009 said:
Hope this explains everything
http://www.itp.uni-hannover.de/~zawischa/ITP/bildchen/spalt03.png

Yes it does . Thanks!
 

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