The fringes observed in Young's double-slit experiment, where light passes through two parallel slits and creates an interference pattern, are not hyperbolic but rather exhibit a characteristic pattern of straight and parallel lines known as interference fringes.
The interference pattern arises due to the wave nature of light. When light passes through the two slits, it diffracts and creates secondary wavefronts that overlap and interfere with each other. The resulting interference pattern is determined by the constructive and destructive interference of these secondary wavefronts.
The pattern consists of alternating bright and dark fringes. The bright fringes correspond to regions of constructive interference, where the crests of one wave align with the crests of another, resulting in reinforcement and increased intensity. The dark fringes, on the other hand, correspond to regions of destructive interference, where the crests of one wave align with the troughs of another, leading to cancellation and reduced intensity.
The fringes in Young's double-slit experiment are straight and parallel because the slits are very close together compared to the distance to the screen where the pattern is observed. This condition ensures that the waves emanating from the two slits can be approximated as being parallel and nearly identical in shape and frequency. As a result, the interference pattern consists of straight and evenly spaced fringes.
It is worth noting that the specific shape and spacing of the fringes can be influenced by factors such as the wavelength of light, the distance between the slits, and the distance to the screen. However, in the ideal case of a double-slit experiment with monochromatic light and a sufficiently distant screen, the fringes appear as straight and parallel lines.