When you look through a sheer curtain at a distant street lamp, you see a patter

Question

When you look through a sheer curtain at a distant street lamp, you see a pattern of colored spots of light. This occurs by

a. polarization of light in scattering and partial absorption by the threads

b. interference of light waves that pass through the threads with light waves that pass through the openings between the threads

c. refraction of light waves differentially in the cylindrical threads

d. diffraction of light waves passing through the two dimensional pattern of openings between the threads

e. reflection of light waves by the sides of the threads

Explanation / Answer

Answer is option d

When light passes through a small hole or a narrow slit, the light waves spread out. The hole or slit must be extremely small for the effect of this spreading to be seen. Each point of the hole or slit acts like a source of a spherical wave. At certain angles, the spherical waves from all the points will be in phase and will add to form a bright spot. At other angles the waves will be out of phase and will cancel to form a dark spot.

Hence colored pattern of light appears

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