Superposition of Waves Flashcards
Principle of superposition
when 2 or more waves meet at a point, the resultant displacement is the sum of the displacements of the individual waves
Diffraction meaning
the spreading of a wave when it passes through a gap or past the edge of an object
Interference meaning
the superposition of 2 or more waves from coherent sources
Constructive interference meaning
when 2 waves reinforce to give increased amplitude at a point in space
Destructive interference meaning
when 2 waves cancel to give reduced (or zero) amplitude at a point in space
Coherent sources
2 sources with exactly the same frequency, and have zero or constant phase difference
Path difference
the extra distance travelled by one of the waves compared with the other, pd is often given in terms of the wavelength of the waves
Interference maxima meaning
regions where light waves from 2 slits arrive in phase with each other, constructive interference
Coherence meaning
term used to describe 2 waves that have a constant phase difference
Double-slit equation
λ = ax/D
a: slit separation
x: fringe separation
D: slit to screen distance
Wavelength with a diffraction grating equation
d sinθ = nλ
Dispersion meaning
the splitting of light into its component wavelengths
