Diffraction Grating

Explore multi-slit interference in 3D. Adjust wavelength, grating spacing and slit count to see how spectral orders form on the screen.

Parameters

Wavelength ($\lambda$) 650 nm

Grating Spacing ($d$) 2.00 μm

Lines per mm: 500

Number of Slits ($N$) 10

Affects sharpness of maxima.

Results

Max Order ($n_{max}$) 3

1st Order $\theta_1$ —

Theoretical maximum orders on one side ($d/\lambda$).

Grating Equation

$$ d \sin \theta = n \lambda $$

$d$: Slit spacing

$\theta$: Diffraction angle

$n$: Order (0, 1, 2...)

$\lambda$: Wavelength

3D Grating Bench

Drag to rotate • Scroll / pinch to zoom

Light Grating Screen

−90°−45°0°+45°+90°

Diffraction Pattern (Angle $\theta$)

Intensity Profile

Physics Note

Increasing $N$ raises principal-maxima intensity as $N^2$ and narrows peak width as $1/N$, producing the sharp spectral lines of a diffraction grating.