Physics - Wave Optics Question with Solution | TestHub

In a single slit diffraction experiment, the angular position of the first minimum on either side of the central maximum is given by $\sin \theta =\frac{\lambda }{a}$, where $\lambda$ is the wavelength of light and $a$ is the width of the slit.

For small angles, $\theta \approx \frac{\lambda }{a}$.

The angular width of the central maximum is $2\theta =\frac{2\lambda }{a}$.

This expression shows that the angular width depends on the wavelength of light used, the width of the slit, and their ratio.

It is independent of the distance of the slit from the screen ($D$).

Answer: distance of the slit from the screen.