The intensity of the double slit pattern is defined by the formula I = 4Icos²(φ/2), where φ represents the phase difference between the light waves from the two slits. The derivation of this formula can be approached geometrically using a phasor diagram or algebraically by considering the complex amplitudes from each slit. The resulting expression for intensity demonstrates how the interference pattern is influenced by the phase difference, leading to constructive and destructive interference in the observed pattern.
PREREQUISITESStudents of physics, educators teaching wave mechanics, and anyone interested in the principles of light interference and its mathematical foundations.