Light

Diffraction
- Wavelength measuring using the
diffraction grating -
1. Abstract
The purpose of this experiment is to highlight the phenomenon of
diffraction when a light wave passes through a diffraction grating
and to determine the wavelength.
When there is a need to separate light of different wavelengths
with high resolution, then a diffraction grating is the most used
tool. A large number of parallel, closely spaced slits constitutes a
diffraction grating. The condition for maximum intensity is the
same as that for the double slit or multiple slits, but with a large
number of slits the intensity maximum is very sharp and narrow,
providing the high resolution for spectroscopic applications. The
peak intensities are also much higher for the grating than for the
double slit.
2. Theory
Diffraction is a complex phenomenon of coherent composure of
light coming from multiple sources. It represents all the
phenomena which result from the wavy nature of light. Those
appear when the light propagates in an heterogenous medium. In
short, diffraction is the action of light avoiding small obstacles.
The diffraction grating is a system with parallel and equal slits.
The step or the period of the grating is the distance between two
consecutive slits:
a=l+b
b is the size of the opaque section
When a monochromatic wave is perpendicular to a diffraction
grating, a complex phenomenon occurs. The diffraction as well as
the interference of the light coming from all the slits can be seen
and measured.
a
The base equation of this experiment is 𝜆 = sin 𝛼n
n

where n is the order of a maximum and a is the angle of the

diffracted wave with respect to the grating’s normal.

3. Experimental setup
The device consists of a goniometer fitted with a collimator C and
a sight L. In its centre there is a round support where the
diffraction grating R is positioned. The light source is a lamp with
mercury vapours or an electric light bulb. The light enters in the
collimator through a slit F. The result can be seen through the
sight where the interference maximums appear as bright fringes.

4. Experimental procedure
a. Study the graded circle and the vernier V
and determine the reading precision of the angles
b. Check if the grating is perpendicular on the direction of the
light beam. Adjust the slit such that the observed maximums are
vertical and as narrow as possible; the quality of the image is
adjusted with the sight L
In case the light source emmits more spectral lines like in the case
of the mercury lamp, the most intense maximum, of order 0, is
white; the maximums of superior order (n=1,2,3,...), for each
colour are placed symmetrically with reference to the 0 order
maximum
c. The measurement of the angle is done by reading the angular
coordinates of the same order maximum, both at the left and at
the right of the central maximum. The sight is rotated to both left
and right positions of the maximum and the reticular wire is
placed at the centre of a certain colour, then the angles are
written down.
d. Finally, the results are written in the table

5. Questions

1. What is diffraction?
2. Why, on the axis of symmetry there is a white maximum? Why
is it the only white maximum?
3. Compare the systematic error of the device and the error
obtained exclusively from measurements! How do you
 interpret this? Compare the error in wavelength from the
device with the error in wavelength from the measurements!
4. Name another method of measuring the angular positions of
the maximums. Is it more precise?
5. For one of the spectral lines, the wavelength can be measured
by using the relationship between sinα and the order number
a
n, 𝜆 = sin 𝛼n , and then measuring the slope of the line and
n
𝜆
identifying it with . Is this method more precise?
a

1.Diffraction is a phenomenon that occurs when a wave

encounters an obstacle or a slit; the bending of light around an
obstacle.
2.On the axis of symmetry there is a white maximum because
that’s where all the spectral colours overlap and it’s the only one
because the further you go from the centre, the distance between
the fringes increases.