Content

Learning outcomes
Introduction
Notes
Video / Image
At the end of this chapter, students
should be able to:
Define coherence.
State the conditions for
interference of light.
State the conditions of
constructive and destructive
interference.

Interference is defined as the effect
of interaction between two or more
waves which overlaps or
superposed at a point and at a
particular time from the sources
There are 2 type of
interference :
a) Constructive interference
b) Destructive interference
a) Constructive interference is
defined as a reinforcement of
amplitudes of light waves that
will produce a bright fringe
(maximum).
b) Destructive interference is
defined as a total cancellation of
amplitudes of light waves that
will produce a dark fringe
(minimum).
Conditions for permanent
interference
Permanent interference between
two sources of light only take place
if they are coherent sources.
7
It means
a) the sources must have the
same wavelength or
frequency.
b) the sources must have a
constant phase difference
between them.
8
The light waves that are interfering
must have the same or
approximately of amplitude to
obtain total cancellation at
minimum or to obtain a good
contrast at maximum
and
9
the distance between the
coherent sources should be as
small as possible of the light
wavelength ( s ).
10
is defined as the difference in distance from
each source to a particular point.
a) Constructive Interference.
x2
x1
Path difference, AL= |x2 x1|
S
1

S
2

screen
P
L A
+ =
m L = A
,..... 2 , 1 , 0 = m
where :


wavelength =
b) Destructive Interference.
S
1

S
2

x
1

x
2

Q
(minimum)
+ =

|
.
|

\
|
+ = A
2
1
m L
,..... 2 , 1 , 0 = m
where :


wavelength =
Interference pattern for two coherent sources
in phase
Fringe
A| m AL
S
1
S
2
screen
3
2
4

0
2
0
0
1
1
2


2
1

0
Central bright
1
st
dark
0

2
1
1
st
dark
1
st
bright
2
1 1
st
bright

2
3
2
nd
dark
3 1

2
3

2
nd
dark
2
nd
bright
4
2 2
2
nd
bright
a) Constructive Interference.
+ =
,..... 2 , 1 , 0 = m
where :


wavelength =

|
.
|

\
|
+ = A
2
1
m L
S
1

S
2

x
1

x
2

P (maximum)
L A
b) Destructive Interference.
+ =
,..... 2 , 1 , 0 = m
where :


wavelength =
m L = A
S
1

S
2

x
1

x
2

Q
(minimum)
Interference pattern for two coherent sources
in anti-phase
Fringe
A| m AL
S
1
S
2
screen
3
2
4

0
2
0
0
1
1
2


2
1

0
Central dark
1
st
bright
0

2
1
1
st
bright
1
st
dark
2
1 1
st
dark

2
3
2
nd
bright
3 1

2
3

2
nd
bright
2
nd
dark
4
2 2
2
nd
dark