Waves from two coherent sources, S₁ and S₂, produce an interference pattern - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 17 - 2019
Question 17
Waves from two coherent sources, S₁ and S₂, produce an interference pattern. Maxima are detected at the positions shown.
The wavelength of the waves is 28 mm.
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Worked Solution & Example Answer:Waves from two coherent sources, S₁ and S₂, produce an interference pattern - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 17 - 2019
Step 1
Determine the condition for the third minimum
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Answer
The condition for minima in an interference pattern is given by:
S₁P - S₂P = (m + rac{1}{2})\lambda
where ( m ) is the order of the minimum, and ( \lambda ) is the wavelength. For the third minimum, ( m = 3 ). Thus, we have:
S1P−S2P=(3+21)⋅28 mm
Step 2
Calculate the path difference
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Answer
Now, calculating the path difference:
S1P−S2P=(3.5)⋅28 mm=98 mm
Step 3
Select the correct option from the choices
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Answer
Based on the calculation, the path difference for the third minimum is 98 mm. Therefore, the correct answer is:
E 98 mm.
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