Interference & Coherence Interference occurs when waves?overlap?and their resultant displacement is the?sum of the displacement of each wave This result is based on the principle of superpositi...
What is Diffraction? Diffraction is the?spreading out?of waves when they pass an obstruction This obstruction is typically a narrow slit (an aperture) The extent of diffraction depends on the width...
Stationary Waves Stationary waves, or standing waves, are produced by the superposition of two waves of the same frequency and amplitude travelling in opposite directions This is usually achieved b...
The Principle of Superposition The principle of superposition states that?when two or more waves with the same frequency travelling in opposite directions overlap, the resultant displacement is the...
Polarisation Transverse waves are waves with their displacement perpendicular to their direction of travel. These oscillations can happen in?any plane?perpendicular to the propagation direction Tra...
Properties of Electromagnetic Waves Visible light is just one part of a much bigger spectrum: The Electromagnetic Spectrum All electromagnetic waves have the following properties in common: They ar...
Doppler Shift of Sound The whistle of a train or the siren of an ambulance appears to decrease in frequency (sounds lower in pitch) as it moves further away from you This frequency change due to th...
Properties of Transverse & Longitudinal Waves In mechanical waves, particles oscillate about fixed points The direction of oscillations with regards to the direction of wave travel determine wh...
Wave Intensity Progressive waves transfer?energy The amount of energy passing through a unit area per unit time is the?intensity?of the wave Therefore, the?intensity?is defined as?power per unit ar...
