Diffraction

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© 1998-2008 by Glenn Elert -- A Work in Progress
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Discussion

The bending or spreading of light through an opening or around an obstacle.

[magnify]

Goethe "flexibility of light"

Why is it possible to hear around corners, but not see around them?

Diffraction of laser light through a vertical opening of decreasing width. Note that as the opening gets narrower, the amount of diffraction in the horizontal direction increases. (The interference fringes will be dealt with in a later section of this book.) This image sequence is also available as a QuickTime movie.

Summary

• bullet

Problems

practice

1. Write something.
   • Answer it.
2. Write something else.
   • Answer it.
3. Write something different.
   • Answer it.
4. Write something completely different.
   • Answer it.

conceptual

1. Why are TV broadcasts in the VHF range more easily received in areas of marginal reception than broadcasts in the UHF range? Remember, UHF frequencies are higher than VHF frequencies. (Assume that both types of frequencies are broadcast under identical conditions.)

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