A pinhole camera has a small circular aperture of diameter D. Light from distant objects passes through the aperture into an otherwise dark box, falling on a screen located a distance L away. If D is too large, the display on the screen will be fuzzy because a bright point in the field of view will send light onto a circle of diameter slightly larger than D. On the other hand, if D is too small, diffraction will blur the display on the screen. The screen shows a reasonably sharp image if the diameter of the central disk of the diffraction pattern, specified by as shown, is equal to D at the screen. (a) Show that for monochromatic light with plane wave fronts and L >> D, the condition for a sharp view is fulfilled if D2 = 2.44λL. (b) Find the optimum pinhole diameter for 500-nm light projected onto a screen 15.0 cm away.

College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
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Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...
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A pinhole camera has a small circular aperture of diameter D. Light from distant objects passes through the aperture into an otherwise dark box, falling on a screen located a distance L away. If D is too large, the display on the screen will be fuzzy because a bright point in the field of view will send light onto a circle of diameter slightly larger than D. On the other hand, if D is too small, diffraction will blur the display on the screen. The screen shows a reasonably sharp image if the diameter of the central disk of the diffraction pattern, specified by as shown, is equal to D at the screen. (a) Show that for monochromatic light with plane wave fronts and L >> D, the condition for a sharp view is fulfilled if D2 = 2.44λL. (b) Find the optimum pinhole diameter for 500-nm light projected onto a screen 15.0 cm away.

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