For obtaining maximum contrast between the bright and dark fringes in an interference pattern, the intensities of the two light coherent sources should be

Step-by-step solution

The contrast of an interference pattern is determined by the visibility, which is given by V = I_ max - I_ min I_ max + I_ min . For maximum contrast, the minimum intensity I_ min should be zero. The minimum intensity in an interference pattern is given by I_ min = ( I₁ - I₂ )^2 . For I_ min = 0 , we must have I₁ = I₂ , which implies I₁ = I₂ . Thus, the intensities of the two coherent sources should be equal. Answer: equal