In Young’s double-slit experiment, the fringe width is the distance between two adjacent bright (or dark) interference fringes on the screen.
Here’s what it means in simple terms:
- Equal spacing: The bright and dark fringes formed on the screen are evenly spaced. The fringe width tells how far apart they are.
- Depends on setup: The fringe width increases if the screen is moved farther from the slits or if the light has a longer wavelength. It decreases if the slits are placed farther apart.
- Important measurement: Fringe width helps in calculating the wavelength of light or the distance between slits when other values are known.
- Same for bright and dark fringes: The distance between two consecutive bright fringes is equal to the distance between two consecutive dark fringes.
In short, fringe width tells us how far the interference fringes are separated on the screen, and it reflects the wave nature of light.