DIFFRACTION

DIFFRACTION

1. The spreading of waves around obstacles.

   • any bending of light by means other than reflection and refraction is diffraction.
   • have incident ray and diffracted ray.
     • property of all waves: diffraction.

2. Is a result of INTERFERENCE.

3. Diffraction is not confined to narrow slits or to openings in general but can be seen around the edges of all shadows. (sharp shadows are nor produced).

   • ex: when a beam of light falls on the edge of an object, it will not continue in a straight line but will be slightly bent by the contact, causing a blur at the edge of the shadow of the object; the amount of bending will be proportional to the wavelenght.

4. If the size of an object is about the same as the wavelenght of licht, diffraction blurs the image.

   • If the object is smaller than the wavelenght of light, no structure can be seen.

5. Takes place in: sound, electromagnetic radiation, light, x-rays, Gamma lights, atoms, neutrons and electrons

6. smaller openings produce GREATER diffractions.

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