Keep the index finger and middle finger next to each other, almost touching but with the thinnest slit of light between them. Hold one hand flat, right in front of your eye, touching your nose. As shown in the following graphics, the pattern is more spread out when (1) the holes are closer together, or (2) the waves are of longer wavelengths.ģ. The resulting pattern of alternating constructive and destructive interference is reminiscent of Moiré patterns. If plane waves come to a barrier that has two holes, the diffracted waves emerging from those holes will overlap and interfere with each other. Typically, you can hear sound from around a corner, but you can't see around a corner. On the Light tab, hit the "show screen" button and notice the alternating bright and dark areas on the screen.Ģ. Again vary the wavelength, and also the slit separation. What variations cause the most diffraction (wave spreading out the most). Some things to try, for each type of wave: put in a one-slit barrier, change the wavelength, change the width of the slit. Play with this Wave Interference simulation, created by the PhET team at the University of Colorado. This work is licensed under /licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ġ. Photo © Exploratorium, Some rights reserved. Here's an aerial photo of ocean waves diffracting as they pass through a gap in a causeway. Therefore, longer wavelengths diffract more than shorter wavelengths.ĭiffraction happens with all kinds of waves, including ocean waves, sound and light. If the hole is smaller than the wavelength, then the wavefronts coming out of the hole will be circular. What counts as "small" depends on the wavelength. If the hole is small, the waves coming through the hole will spread out (diverge) again, as if the hole were a point source of waves, like a rock thrown into a pond. Smaller holes cause waves to diffract more. The spreading out of waves when they pass an obstacle is called diffraction. If the hole is very wide, the waves coming through the hole will be mostly flat, but will curve outward (i.e. Imagine plane wavefronts moving toward a wall with a hole in it.
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