Give two points of differences between the phenomenon of interfernce and diffraction.

Explanation

Following are the main points of difference between interference and diffraction :
1. Interference is the result of interaction of light coming from two different wavefronts originating from two coherent sources, whereas diffraction pattern is the result of interaction of light coming from different parts of the same wavefront.
2. In the interference, the fringes may or may not be of the same width, while. in diffraction, the fringes are always of varying width.
3. In interference, the fringes of minimum intensity are perfectly dark (provided light waves are of same amplitude), whereas in diffraction, the fringes of minimum intensity are not perfectly dark.
4. In interference, ail the bright fringes are of same intensity, while in diffraction, the bright fringes are of varying intensity.
5. In the interference pattern, there is a good contrast between bright and dark fringes. On the other hand, in diffraction pattern, the contrast between bright and dark fringes is comparatively poor.