A diffraction grating has 2000 lines per centimeter. At what angle will the first-order maximum be for 520 -nmwavelength green light?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The angle at which the first-order maximum occurs for 520-nm wavelength green light in this diffraction grating is approximately \(6.0°\).

Step by step solution

01

Convert given values to the appropriate units

First, let's convert the given values to the appropriate units for easier calculations. The number of lines per centimeter (2000 lines/cm) needs to be converted to the number of lines per meter (lines/m), and the wavelength of the light (520 nm) should be converted to meters (m). 1. Conversion of lines per centimeter to lines per meter: \(2000 \, lines/cm * 100 cm/m = 200,000 \, lines/m\) 2. Conversion of the wavelength: \(520 \, nm = 520 * 10^{-9} m\) Now we have: Number of lines per meter (lines/m) = 200,000 lines/m Wavelength of the light (m) = \(520 * 10^{-9} m\)
02

Calculate the grating spacing (d)

Next, we need to find the grating spacing (d). The grating spacing is the distance between each line in the grating, and it can be found using the following formula: \(d = \frac{1}{N}\) Where: d = grating spacing (m) N = number of lines per meter (lines/m) Now, let's plug in the values: \(d = \frac{1}{200,000 lines/m} = 5*10^{-6} m\)
03

Apply the formula for constructive interference

To find the angle of the first-order maximum (\(\theta\)), we need to use the formula for constructive interference in a diffraction grating: \(d * sin(\theta) = m * \lambda\) Where: d = grating spacing (m) \(\theta\) = angle of the maximum order m = order (1 for first-order maximum) \(\lambda\) = wavelength of the light (m) Now, plug in the values and solve for theta: \(5*10^{-6} m * sin(\theta) = 1 * (520 * 10^{-9} m)\)
04

Solve for the angle (\(\theta\))

Now let's solve for \(\theta\): \(sin(\theta) = \frac{1 * (520 * 10^{-9} m)}{5*10^{-6} m}\) \(sin(\theta) = 0.104\) Now, find the angle by taking the inverse sine (arcsin) of the result: \(\theta = arcsin(0.104)\) \(\theta \approx 6.0°\) Therefore, the angle at which the first-order maximum occurs for 520-nm wavelength green light in this diffraction grating is approximately 6.0°.

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