Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Physics

Multiple Choice

PhysicsMultiple Choice

Multiple Choice

17.1 Understanding Diffraction and Interference

14.

Which remains unchanged when a monochromatic beam of light passes from air into water?

  1. the speed of the light
  2. the direction of the beam
  3. the frequency of the light
  4. the wavelength of the light
15.

Two slits are separated by a distance of 3500 nm . If light with a wavelength of 500 nm passes through the slits and produces an interference pattern, the m = ________ order minimum appears at an angle of 30.0°.

  1. 0
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
16.

In the sunlight, the shadow of a building has fuzzy edges even if the building does not. Is this a refraction effect? Explain.

  1. Yes, this is a refraction effect, where every point on the building acts as the origin for a new wavefront.
  2. Yes, this is a refraction effect, where the whole building acts as the origin for a new wavefront.
  3. No, this is a diffraction effect, where every point on the edge of the building’s shadow acts as the origin for a new wavefront.
  4. No, this is a diffraction effect, where the whole building acts as the origin for a new wavefront.

17.2 Applications of Diffraction, Interference, and Coherence

17.

Two images are just resolved when the center of the diffraction pattern of one is directly over ________ of the diffraction pattern of the other.

  1. the center
  2. the first minimum
  3. the first maximum
  4. the last maximum
18 .
Two point sources of 500 nm light are just resolvable as they pass through a small hole. The angle to the first minimum of one source is 0.100 rad . What is the diameter of the hole?
  1. 4.10 μ m
  2. 5.73 μ m
  3. 0.106 μ m
  4. 6.10 μ m
19.

Will a beam of light shining through a 1-mm hole behave any differently than a beam of light that is 1 mm wide as it leaves its source? Explain.?

  1. Yes, the beam passing through the hole will spread out as it travels, because it is diffracted by the edges of the hole, whereas the 1 -mm beam, which encounters no diffracting obstacle, will not spread out.
  2. Yes, the beam passing through the hole will be made more parallel by passing through the hole, and so will not spread out as it travels, whereas the unaltered wavefronts of the 1-mm beam will cause the beam to spread out as it travels.
  3. No, both beams will remain the same width as they travel, and they will not spread out.
  4. No, both beams will spread out as they travel.
20 .
A laser pointer emits a coherent beam of parallel light rays. Does the light from such a source spread out at all? Explain.
  1. Yes, every point on a wavefront is not a source of wavelets, which prevent the spreading of light waves.
  2. No, every point on a wavefront is not a source of wavelets, so that the beam behaves as a bundle of rays that travel in their initial direction.
  3. No, every point on a wavefront is a source of wavelets, which keep the beam from spreading.
  4. Yes, every point on a wavefront is a source of wavelets, which cause the beam to spread out steadily as it moves forward.
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute Texas Education Agency (TEA), and must distribute any derivative works under the same license. The original material is available at: https://www.texasgateway.org/book/tea-physics . Changes were made to the original material, including updates to art, structure, and other content updates.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/physics/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Jul 8, 2026 Texas Education Agency (TEA). The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.