- #1
jetpeach
- 5
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Hi, I generally understand interference and Newton's ring/Young's double slit experiments, but I can't find the answer to a pretty simple question:
When two glass plates are placed together and their is a gap of thickness "t", contructive and destructive interference leads to interference patterns as described http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/PY106/Diffraction.html
but at what thickness will these patterns no longer be visible, at least by eye? Basically, I find tons of things saying, "from the inner and outer surface of a bubble light is reflected and interfers... and patterns show depending on m*lambda... " But at what upper limit of the integer wavelengths of light does this stop? If you have two glass plates 1cm apart, clearly you don't see interference due to the gap between them, but what about 1mm? 100um?
Basically, one of my advisors states that because we can see interference patterns between our glass plates, they are separated by at most a few wavelengths of light, but I'm wondering why or how this is the case and if I can prove it. Thanks for any help! Be back in the morning to follow up,
jet
When two glass plates are placed together and their is a gap of thickness "t", contructive and destructive interference leads to interference patterns as described http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/PY106/Diffraction.html
but at what thickness will these patterns no longer be visible, at least by eye? Basically, I find tons of things saying, "from the inner and outer surface of a bubble light is reflected and interfers... and patterns show depending on m*lambda... " But at what upper limit of the integer wavelengths of light does this stop? If you have two glass plates 1cm apart, clearly you don't see interference due to the gap between them, but what about 1mm? 100um?
Basically, one of my advisors states that because we can see interference patterns between our glass plates, they are separated by at most a few wavelengths of light, but I'm wondering why or how this is the case and if I can prove it. Thanks for any help! Be back in the morning to follow up,
jet