interference

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Understanding wave interference through sound experiments

Figure 12: A simple beat wave of amplitude ξ moving with velocity U (see text).

Figure 2: Interference of two plane waves AB and CD with directions inclined at an angle α. The crests of CD are represented as C1D1, C2D2, etc., and the troughs are shown as broken lines (see text).

examples of interference

Figure 9: The Michelson interferometer.

Figure 11: Multiple-beam interference. Lens L concentrates all beams at focus Q with the same phase differences they had prior to entering the lens.

$single-slit diffraction$

Young's double-slit experiment

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Photos and Videos

Figure 12: A simple beat wave of amplitude ξ moving with velocity U (see text).

Figure 2: Interference of two plane waves AB and CD with directions inclined at an angle α. The crests of CD are represented as C1D1, C2D2, etc., and the troughs are shown as broken lines (see text).

examples of interference

Figure 9: The Michelson interferometer.

Figure 11: Multiple-beam interference. Lens L concentrates all beams at focus Q with the same phase differences they had prior to entering the lens.

$single-slit diffraction$

Young's double-slit experiment

Understanding wave interference through sound experiments

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Topics

beat interference fringe Young’s experiment destructive interference cross talk constructive interference modulation of waves wave train traveling wave oscillating wave radiation wave motion vibration phase absorption frequency scattering wavenumber Doppler effect wave-particle duality

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Key People

Fresnel, detail of an engraving by Ambroise Tardieu after a contemporary portrait, 1825

Augustin-Jean Fresnel

French physicist

Thomas Young, engraving

Thomas Young

British physician and physicist

Quiz

Italian-born physicist Dr. Enrico Fermi draws a diagram at a blackboard with mathematical equations. circa 1950.

Physics and Natural Law