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what is the difference between interference and diffraction? |
Differences between interference and diffraction. 1.Interference is the result of interaction of light coming from two different wave fronts originating from two coherent sources, whereas diffraction pattern is the result of interaction of light coming from different parts of the same wave front. 2.In interference, the fringes may or may not be of the same width, while in diffraction, the fringes are always of varying width. 3.In interference, the fringes of minimum intensity are perfectly dark (provided bright waves are of same amplitude), whereas the diffraction, the fringes of minimum intensity are not perfectly dark. 4.In interference, all the bright fringes are of same intensity; while in diffraction, the bright fringes are varying intensity. 5.In the interference pattern, there is a good contrast between bright and dark fringes. On the other hand, in diffraction pattern, the contrast between bright and dark fringes is comparatively poor. |