Are the Dark Bands in the Double-Slit Experiment Darker Than the Same Areas with One Slit Open?
Context The double-slit experiment demonstrates the wave-like nature of light, where light passing through two slits creates an interference pattern of bright and dark bands on a screen. We want to understand how the brightness of these dark bands compares to the same areas if only one slit were open. Simple Answer Imagine shining a flashlight on a wall with two small holes. If only one hole is open, you'll see a bright patch of light on the wall. When you open the second hole, you'll see a pattern of alternating bright and dark bands on the wall, caused by the waves of light interfering with each other. The dark bands in this pattern are actually areas where the light waves from the two slits cancel each other out. These dark bands are not completely dark, they are just dimmer than the areas where the light waves reinforce each other. So, the dark bands are actually a bit brighter than if only one slit were open, but they are significantly less bright than the bright bands in...