- Since ym = mλL/d, a decrease in d would cause an increase in ym. In other
words, the fringes would become larger and the interference pattern would be
more spread out.
Single-Aperture Diffraction
A diffraction pattern will also form on the screen if the barrier contains only one
slit. The central maximum will be very pronounced, but lower-intensity maxima
will also be seen because of interference from waves arriving from different
locations within the slit itself. The central maximum will become wider as the
width of the slit is decreased.