Apertures and Diffraction – Exploring Wave Motion (3/5)

Posted on April 27, 2014 by ShutterBug

Free learning from The Open University http://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/physics-and-astronomy — Andrew Norton shows what happ…

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8 Responses to Apertures and Diffraction – Exploring Wave Motion (3/5)

  1. Nicholas Pinn says:
    April 27, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    This video is excellent and has significantly improved my understanding of
    diffraction

  2. phoenixheart6 says:
    April 27, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    In a more dense medium, the speed of the wave would be slower. This means
    that for the same frequency of a water wave, a mercury wave would have a
    shorter wavelength. This would mean less diffraction. Just remember that
    the wave speed is inversely proportional to the density of the medium.

  3. phoenixheart6 says:
    April 27, 2014 at 2:22 pm

    That’s true, I didn’t know that higher concentration led greater wave
    speed. With the shear modulus though, that’s only the case for a solid
    medium (I think, like a rope or something). I know physics, but not so much
    chemistry lol.

  4. YOURLASTBREATH96 . says:
    April 27, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    That funny moment when You’re asked to help the teacher in the lab’ –‘

  5. TheActiveStorage says:
    April 27, 2014 at 3:40 pm

    is it just me or there are interference patterns in a single slit
    diffraction around 1:12 and 2:00?

  6. ActiveStorage says:
    April 27, 2014 at 3:46 pm

    thanks. People say that higher individual mass of the particle causes the
    wave to slow down. But the higher concentration of these particles causes
    the wave to speed up. Plus one has to account for
    “stiffness”(Shear_modulus) of the material and compressibility. The problem
    I see with “density” is it only tells us the amount of mass per volume. It
    doesn’t tell us anything about distance between the molecules or how these
    molecules “interact” between each-other.

  7. ActiveStorage says:
    April 27, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    does anyone know how diffraction would change if one uses mercury instead
    of water? or oil? or kerosine? Are there any formulas that can link
    diffraction with density of the medium? if any?

  8. William Segal says:
    April 27, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    This is excellent. My class will really benefit from seeing this.

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