Question

A double slit is positioned in front of an incandescent light bulb. Will an interference pattern be produced?

Short answer

Answer: No, an interference pattern will not be produced in this case because an incandescent light bulb emits incoherent light, which is not suitable for producing interference patterns in a double-slit experiment.

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the double-slit experiment

The double-slit experiment is a classic physics experiment that demonstrates the wave-particle duality of light. When light passes through two parallel slits, an interference pattern is produced, which can be observed on a screen. The interference pattern is a result of the constructive and destructive interference of light waves from the two slits.

Coherence of light

For an interference pattern to be produced in a double-slit experiment, the light source must be coherent. Coherent light is light that maintains a fixed phase relationship over time, allowing the constructive and destructive interference to produce an observable pattern. Examples of coherent light sources include lasers and some filtered light sources.

Analyzing the incandescent light bulb

An incandescent light bulb emits light due to the heating of a filament. This method produces a wide range of wavelengths and directions, resulting in incoherent light. As the light emitted from an incandescent bulb does not maintain a fixed phase relationship over time, it is not a suitable light source for producing interference patterns in a double-slit experiment.

Final conclusion

In summary, an incandescent light bulb emits incoherent light, which is not suitable for producing interference patterns in a double-slit experiment. Therefore, in this particular setup, an interference pattern will not be produced with the incandescent light bulb as the light source.