SME
Grade 11 Science · Problem type
Reflection, refraction, diffraction or interference?
Use this for “Light spreads past a narrow slit and makes bands. Which wave behavior is it?”
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Which behavior does it show?
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Assumptions
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Reflection bounces a wave back; refraction bends it as it changes speed into a new medium.
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Diffraction spreads a wave round an edge or through a gap about as wide as its wavelength.
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Interference adds overlapping waves: bright or loud where they meet in step, dark or quiet where they cancel.
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Related lessons
Light: reflection, refraction, mirrors, lenses and interference
Main lesson
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Use this for “Laser light (633 nm) passes two slits 0.25 mm apart onto a screen 2 m away. How far apart are the bright fringes?”