This post includes a video showing single slit diffraction of a LASER beam. The derivation develps formulas to find the diffraction maxima and minima as a function of angle.
Vocabulary: You need to be able to distinguish between these words, what they mean, and be able to draw diagrams for each.
Reflection
Refraction
Diffraction
(we’ll worry about Interference later)
You need to know:
Huygen’s principle of point radiators.
Similar Triangles
Small angle approximation
Derivation of position of maxima and minima using Huygen’s Principle of Wavelets
Diffraction_Derivation_Part-1: Finding Maxima
Difraction Part 2-Full Width of Central Max
Single Slit Diffraction explained.