Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-course-of-the-year-1-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/paper-1/section-a/4/solution

The slit spacing is . At normal incidence, the diffraction grating maxima satisfy . Therefore
The third order would require , so it cannot propagate. At fixed order and spacing, a longer wavelength requires larger . Green light has a larger first-order diffraction angle than blue light.

New to topics? Read the docs here!