Consider sunlight incident on a pinhole of width 103 A. The image of the pinhole seen on a screen shall be:

(a) a sharp white ring
(b) different from a geometrical image
(c) a diffused central spot, white in colour
(d) diffused coloured region around a sharp central white spot

1. (a, c)

2. (a, d)

3. (b, d)

4. (b, c)

(b, d) Hint: The diffraction occurs when the size of the obstacle in the path of light is comparable to the wavelength of the light.

Step 1: Find the shape of the image.
Given, width of pinhole = 103 A= 1000 A
We know that wavelength of sunlight ranges from 4000 A to 8000 A.

Clearly, wavelength λ < width of the slit.
Hence, light is diffracted from the hole. Due to diffraction from the slit, the image formed
on the screen will be different from the geometrical image.