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Re: Diffraction

At 21:35 9/24/99 -0400, you wrote:
Good approach, Brian. But the quantitative calculation shows that the
first minimum (zero) occurs at an angle such that the wavelets from the
two slit ends are IN PHASE. The wavelets cancel in pairs, with the first
pair being one end and the center (these are 180 deg out of phase).

Bob

Good catch, Bob!
The elementary approach I sketched works better for two slits.

In an elementary treatment of one slit, it is necessary or at least
possible to think of two beams, one from each half of the slit,
interfering at the appropriate angle.
The distance seperating the centers of each beam are
a half slit apart, and this is the distance used for the treatment.


brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>
Altus OK