Light of wavelength 450 nm passes through a single slit of width 0.1 mm. What is the width of the central maximum on a screen 2 m away?

Core Concept

The width of the central maximum in single-slit diffraction is given by w = 2λL/a, where λ = 450 nm = 4.5×10^-7 m, L = 2 m, and a = 0.1 mm = 1×10^-4 m. Therefore, w = 2 × 4.5×10^-7 × 2 / 1×10^-4 = 1.8×10^-2 m = 1.8 cm.