12 waves Flashcards
When 2 waves meet the displacement at a point is equal to…
the sum of the displacements of the two waves
What is the difference between constructive and destructive interference?
constructive is when the two displacements are in the same direction, destructive is when they are in opposite directions
What does coherence mean?
two waves having a constant wave difference
What is path difference?
difference between the distance travelled by 2 waves, often expressed as a multiple of a wavelength
Considering the double slit experiment, what is the equation for the wave length of light?
(distance between slits)x(distance to first fringe)/distance to screen
What is the problem when using the equation derived from the double slit experiment? (Think accuracy)
the further out in fringes you go the less accurate it is
