Formula Sheet:

91523 Demonstrate understanding of wave systems:

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  Diffraction:

Spreading or bending out of waves when they go through a gap, or past the edge of a barrier.

1- Diffraction depends on the size of the gap.

2- Diffraction depends on the size of the wavelength.

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 If the gap width is small, so semi-circular wavefronts radiate from the gap. The gap acts as
a point source.

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 What is Phase?

 In a wave
1. points undergoing similar motion are ‘in phase’.
 ‘In-phase’ points are exactly 1 wavelength or multiples of 1 wavelength apart.
Distance difference: (∆ x =nλ)(n=1, 2 , 3 , …)
 We can display the phase difference by an angle. In phase’ points have a difference
of 0° or multiple of 360° .
 ‘In phase’ points have a difference of 0° or multiple of 360° .
Phase difference: ( pd=∆ φ=2 nπ )

 Phase difference zero degree.

 Distance difference: (∆ x =nλ)(n=1, 2 , 3 , …)
 Same displacement ( y 1= y 5 )
 Same speed & same direction
 Phase difference: ( pd=∆ φ=2 nπ )
 Time difference: ( ∆ t=nT ) (n=1 , 2 ,3 , …)

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2. points are moving in an opposite motion to each other said to be ‘exactly ‘out of
phase’.

 ‘Exactly out of phase’ points difference distance is half wavelength or

Distance difference: ¿

 We can display the phase difference by an angle. Out of phase’ points have a
phase difference of 0° or multiple of 180° .

Phase difference: ¿

 Phase difference 180° .

 Distance difference: ¿
 Same speed & opposite direction
 Phase difference: ¿
 Time difference: ¿

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 Two Waves:

1. Are ‘in phase’ if they have:

 Same wavelength
 Points on the wave have the same motion

 Amplitude does not matter. (could be same or different).

2. Are said to be ‘out of phase’ if they have:

 Same wavelength.
 Points on the wave have the different motion.

3. Are ‘exactly out of phase’ if they have:

 Same wavelength

 Points on the wave have the different motion.

(The crests of one wave exactly correspond to the troughs of the other
wave they are said to be ‘exactly out of phase).

 Amplitude does not matter. (could be same or different).

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Interference effects can be observed with all types of waves, for example, radio waves, light
waves, sound waves, surface water waves.

1. Constructive interference in Sound waves:

When two in-phase waves having the same frequency meets at the same place at the same
time, the amplitudes of the two waves are simply added together. The resultant wave amplitude
is greater than that of the original wave.

o If we stand in front of the two speakers, the vibrations produced by the two speakers will be
added up in the air.

As a result, we hear a sound that is much louder than the individual speakers would produce.

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 It means the amplitudes of the two sound waves are added up and we hear a sound that is
much louder than the individual speakers would produce. This is nothing but constructive
interference.

2. Destructive interference in Sound waves:

Destructive wave interference is a wave interference that occurs when out-of-phase waves meet
with each other and forms a new wave with lower amplitude or zero amplitude.

So, let us see what will happen if we stand in front of two speakers which are producing
the out-of-phase sound waves.

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  Constructive & Destructive interference pattern in Light waves:

If light waves of two sources have a combination of constructive and destructive interference, what
can we see on screen?

[Link]

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 Two Point Source Interference:

o Point sources produce curved wavefronts.

o When two-point sources create waves near to each other, the waves travel past each
other the displacement of the medium becomes a combination of the displacements of
the two waves. This phenomenon is known as interference and the combined
wave is called the resultant wave.

o If the wavefronts of two-point source have the same wavelengths and are in phase
with each other, a regular pattern is formed. This can be represented by the following
type of diagram:

o The lines are wavefronts.

o Distance between lines is wavelength (λ)
o They illustrate the crests or peaks of the waves.

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 o In the middle, between successive crests, are the troughs.

o Where two lines (crests) intersect there will be constructive interference.

o Where two lines (troughs) intersect there will be constructive interference.
o Where a line(crest) intersects a line (trough) from the other source, there will be
destructive interference.

o Constructive interference occurs where waves are in phase.

 Maximum displacement will occur.
o Destructive interference occurs where waves are exactly out of phase.

For example, in diagram above:

- Points A, B and D are constructive interference.

- Points C and E are destructive interference.

In the diagram above:

d 1=distance between source 1∧ point

d 2=distance between source 2∧ point

pd=∆ d=Path Difference=d 2−d 1

Path difference pd=∆ d=nλ → Constructiveinterferenceoccurs

Path difference pd=∆ d=( n−0.5 ) λ → Desstructive interferenceoccurs

1- For point A , d 1=5 λ∧d 2=5 λ , pd =5 λ−5 λ=0 , So , constructive interference .

2- For point B , d 1=2 λ∧d 2=4 λ , pd=4 λ−2 λ=2 λ , So , constructive interference .
3- For point C , d 1=5 λ∧d 2=3.5 λ , pd=1.5 λ , So , destructive interference .
4- For point E , d 1=2 λ∧d 2=5.5 λ , pd =3.5 λ , So , destructive interference
5- For point D , d1 =3.5 λ∧d 2=4.5 λ , pd=1 λ , So , constructive interference .

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  Nodal And Anti-Nodal Lines:

By looking at an interference pattern created by two-point sources:

o All the positions that have a path difference ( pd) of zero are in a line through the
centre of the pattern.

By two source light waves, this would be the brightest line

(called the central maxima).

On either side of that line are two lines that locate all the destructive
interference positions with a path difference of (0.5 λ) .

This pattern continues outwards as shown below:

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 Two-Point Source Interference Calculations:

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  For Constructive interference:

d 1∧d 2=distance between point source/ slits1∧2 ¿ t h e point (m)

θ=Angle of n th order ¿ the maxima(°) n=order number

λ=Wavelength(m) L=istance ¿ point sources ¿ screen (m)

x=Distance ¿ central maxima ¿ fringe (m)

Hint:

 When the angle (θ) is very small Sinθ∧tanθ are equal.

 When the angle is small both the original equation and the small angle approximately will
work. So can be used depending on the information provided.

nλ x
Sinθ=tanθ → =
d L

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  For Destructive interference:

d 1∧d 2=distance between point source/ slits1∧2 ¿ t h e point (m)

θ=Angle of n thorder ¿ the maxima(°) n=order number

λ=Wavelength(m) L=istance ¿ point sources ¿ screen (m)

x=Distance ¿ central maxima ¿ fringe (m)

Hint:

 When the angle (θ) is very small Sinθ∧tanθ are equal.

 When the angle is small both the original equation and the small angle approximately will
work. So can be used depending on the information provided.

(n−0.5)λ x
Sinθ=tanθ → =
d L

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  Multiple Point Source Interference:

With adding additional identical sources that have the same spacing as the original two
sources means that the interference pattern is affected as follows:

1- Fringes become brighter. (Fringes are brighter since more light is falling on them).

2- Fringes are sharper - as more waves interact, any slightly out of phase regions experience
more destructive interference. This means that the bright fringes become more clearly
defined and sharper.

3- Location/angle will be the same as the slit spacing and the path difference have not
changed.

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  Diffraction Gratings:
 A diffraction grating is a transparent sheet with a very large number of equally
spaced, narrow parallel lines (often hundreds of lines per mm), which separates
(disperses) polychromatic light into its component wavelengths (colours).

 The polychromatic light incident on the grating is dispersed so that each wavelength
is reflected from the grating at a slightly different angle.

These lines act like slits creating multiple points sources of coherent light.

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  Comparing interference patterns between diffraction gratings & double slit:

Interference patterns produced by diffraction gratings:

1- Fringes become brighter. (more slits mean more light passes through, so brighter fringes
occur).

2- Fringes are sharper. (more waves interacting means a better defined/sharper bright
region).

3- Fringes spread further apart.

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  Diffraction Grating Calculations:

o Given (N ) lines per meter, the distance (d ) between lines is:

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o d=
N

o The light emerging from each of these point sources is diffracted and overlaps with the light
from the other point sources causing interference.
o The formula from two source interference also apply to diffraction gratings:

x
d sinθ=n λ tanθ=
L

λ=Wavelength ( m ) of light d=distance ( m ) between slits

−1
N=Number of slits per metre(m )

θ=angle ¿ central fringe ¿ the nth band on the screen .

L=Distance ( m ) ¿ the slits ¿ the screen .

x=Distance ( m ) ¿ central band ¿ nth band on the scree .

n=Order of the bright bnd has orderv 0.

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  Diffraction Gratings and White Light:

Diffraction of white light produces repeating rainbow-like spectra. Within each spectrum, longer
wavelength of visible light (red) is further away from the centre. This is because the angle of
diffraction increases for light of longer wavelengths.

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