Waves: Properties and Behaviors

The bending of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle.

The point where waves encounter an opening or obstacle.

The sharpness of the bending of a wave due to diffraction.

The amount of bending a wave experiences is inversely proportional to its wavelength. Shorter wavelengths bend less.

A situation where the source of light, the obstacle, and the screen are close together, creating a diffraction pattern.

A situation where the source of light, the obstacle, and the screen are far apart, creating a diffraction pattern.

Every point on a wave front can be considered a source of secondary wavelets that spread out in all directions.

Using Huygens's principle to explain and quantify the diffraction phenomenon.

The combination of two or more waves to produce a new wave, resulting in an increase or decrease in amplitude.

Waves that maintain a constant phase relationship with each other, producing consistent interference patterns.

The condition where two or more waves combine and amplify each other, resulting in a larger amplitude. This happens when waves are in phase.

The condition where two or more waves combine and cancel each other out, resulting in a smaller amplitude. This happens when waves are out of phase.

The maximum constructive interference that occurs when two waves of equal amplitude are completely in phase.

The maximum destructive interference that occurs when two waves of equal amplitude completely cancel each other out.

The point where waves from two sources meet and interfere.

The principle that states that when two or more waves meet, the resultant displacement at any point is the vector sum of the displacements of the individual waves.

The phenomenon where light waves bend and spread out as they pass through a narrow opening or around an obstacle, creating a pattern of bright and dark bands.

The minimum angle between two objects, as seen through an optical instrument, at which they can be distinguished as separate entities.

The combination of two or more waves to produce a resultant wave.

The equation that describes the angles at which dark bands ( minima) occur in a single-slit diffraction pattern.

The equation that gives the minimum angle θcr needed to distinguish two objects through an optical instrument.

A range of colors that arises when sunlight is refracted and reflected in droplets of water, such as in a rainbow.

The phenomenon of colors appearing due to constructive and destructive interference of light waves in thin transparent layers, such as soap bubbles or oil films.

The distance from the center of the pattern to the center of the mth bright band of the interference fringes.

The distance between the slits and the screen.

The separation of the slits.

The wavelength of the light in the two-slit experiment.

The order of the bright fringe, where m=0 is the central bright fringe, m=1 is the first bright fringe, m=2 is the second bright fringe, etc.

A formula used to calculate the distance of a fringe from the center of the interference pattern, where Ym is the distance, λ is the wavelength, R is the distance between slits and the screen, d is the slit separation, and m is the order of the fringe.

A pattern of alternating bright and dark bands observed on a screen when light passes through two narrow slits. The bright bands correspond to constructive interference, while the dark bands correspond to destructive interference.

The phenomenon where the frequency of a wave changes when the source or observer is moving relative to the medium.

If a sound source is stationary and the observer moves towards it, the observed frequency is higher (shorter wavelength) than the actual frequency.

If a sound source is stationary and the observer moves away from it, the observed frequency is lower (longer wavelength) than the actual frequency.

The frequency of a sound wave is higher as the source moves towards the observer and lower as the source moves away from the observer.

When a light source is moving away from you, its light waves are stretched, causing its color to shift towards the red end of the spectrum.

When a light source is moving towards you, its light waves are compressed, causing its color to shift towards the blue end of the spectrum.

The Doppler effect applies to all types of waves, including light and electromagnetic waves.

The Doppler effect explains the changing frequency of light from distant galaxies, which is used to determine their motion relative to Earth.

In single slit diffraction, the condition for interference refers to the constructive or destructive interference of light waves passing through the slit, resulting in a diffraction pattern.

The frequency of the vibrations can be calculated using the equation f = c/λ, where c is the speed of light (3 x 10^8 m/s) and λ is the wavelength (3.75 x 10^-6 m). Therefore, the frequency is f = (3 x 10^8 m/s) / (3.75 x 10^-6 m) = 8 x 10^13 Hz.

The different colors observed in the water are a result of interference phenomena caused by the reflection of light off the water surface and the ripples. Different angles of reflection and interference of light waves lead to different colors being perceived.

The frequency of electromagnetic waves with a wavelength equal to a typical CD pit size can be calculated using the equation f = c/λ, where c is the speed of light (3 x 10^8 m/s) and λ is the wavelength (1.2 x 10^-6 m). Therefore, the frequency is f = (3 x 10^8 m/s) / (1.2 x 10^-6 m) = 2.5 x 10^14 Hz.

As a wave travels, its intensity decreases due to the spreading of energy over a larger area, also known as spreading of the wavefront. This is a fundamental characteristic of wave propagation.

The Doppler effect describes the change in frequency or wavelength of a wave observed due to the relative motion between the source of the wave and the observer.

If a sound source is moving toward a stationary observer, the waves are compressed, resulting in a higher perceived frequency (higher pitch).

If a sound source is moving away from a stationary observer, the waves are stretched, leading to a lower perceived frequency (lower pitch).