Levels

Lab

The physics

Light from two slits reaches each spot on the screen by two paths. Where the paths differ by a whole number of wavelengths, the spot is bright.

path difference = y d / D

So the bright fringes sit at equal gaps. That gap is the fringe width β. Halfway between two bright fringes sits a dark one.

β = λD / d    bright: y = mβ    dark: y = (m − ½)β

In a liquid of index μ, the wavelength drops to λ/μ. The fringes shrink by the same factor.

Two colours are bright together where m₁λ₁ = m₂λ₂. A biprism acts like two slits 2a(μ − 1)α apart.