Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Resolution and Diffraction Gratings
- Diffraction "blurs" images together, and places a limit on the
finest details one may distinguish
- If one looks at two objects through a rectangular slit
using light of wavelength lambda, then the two objects
will appear to blur together when their projected angular
separation is
lambda
sin (theta) = -------------
width of slit
- A similar formula describes the smallest angular separation at which
two point sources of light (like headlights, or stars) may
be distinguished when one looks through a circular aperture:
lambda
sin (theta) = 1.22 -------------------
diameter of aperture
- One can increase one's ability to distinguish fine detail by
increasing the aperture through which one is looking, or
by using light of shorter wavelengths.
- A diffraction grating is a device with many, many parallel slits
very close together. When light passes through a diffraction
grating, it is dispersed into a spectrum.
- Light of wavelength lambda which passes through a diffraction
grating of spacing d will create a bright spot at angles
lambda
sin(theta) = N ------ for N = 0, 1, 2, 3, ....
d
- A diffraction grating disperses light into a rainbow, like a prism;
but the order of the colors is opposite for the two devices.
A prism throws blue light most away from the center;
a grating throws red light most away from the center.
- One can use diffraction gratings to stretch light into spectra,
then identify different chemical elements and compounds from
the patterns of light in the spectra.
Viewgraph 1
Viewgraph 2
Viewgraph 3
Viewgraph 4
Viewgraph 5
Viewgraph 6
Viewgraph 7
Viewgraph 8
Viewgraph 9
Viewgraph 10
Viewgraph 11
Viewgraph 12
Viewgraph 13
Viewgraph 14
Copyright © Michael Richmond.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.