Finding slit seperation in two-slit experiment

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clearsky
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Homework Statement



Light from a He-Ne laser ([itex]\lambda[/itex] = 632.8nm) strikes a pair of slits at normal incidence, forming a double-slit interference pattern on a screen located 1.50 from the slits. The figure shows the interference pattern observed on the screen
Row of six red elliptical bright fringes on a dark background, with dashed vertical guide lines at the outer fringes and a horizontal dimension arrow labelled 23.0 mm spanning the distance between them.


What is the slit separation?

Homework Equations



d*sin([itex]\theta[/itex]) = m*sin([itex]\lambda[/itex])
y = L*sin([itex]\theta[/itex])

The Attempt at a Solution



I know i can solve this problem if i just find sin([itex]\theta[/itex]) but this is where I'm getting stuck.

Also, does the diagram tell me anything important? i thought maybe by dividing the 23mm by 4, i could get y (the distance between each bright fringe) but that proved to be fruitless when i tried solving for sinθ using 0.023/4 = 1.5sinθ but that didn't give me the correct answer for d.

nevermind. i figured this out.
 
Last edited:
The formula should be d*sin(θ) = m*λ.
Draw your diagram with one line horizontal from the slits to a bright central maximum and another line at angle θ to the next bright spot, separated from the first by x. You can figure out x from the given diagram and then you can get the hypotenuse in the new diagram using the Pythagorean theorem. Use the formula to solve for the slit separation distance d.