Waves: An Interactive Tutorial
by Kyle Forinash and Wolfgang Christian
Hosted by
AAPT ComPADRE
1.
Basic Properties
2.
Combining Waves
3.
External Interactions
4.
Applications
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» External Interactions
External Interactions
The details of wave properties in materials are determined by how the waves interact with their surroundings. Barriers, mirrors, edges, and material types all influence the physics of objects.
Mirrors
Collisions with Boundaries
Standing Waves on a String and in a Tube
Refraction
Lenses
Path Difference and Interference
Impedance
Dispersion of Light
Dispersion of Fourier Components
Diffraction
Mirrors
The reflection of light from mirrors is an example of waves interacting with boundary conditions.
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Collisions with Boundaries
Boundary conditions determine the behavior of the wave when it collides with the edge of an object.
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Standing Waves on a String and in a Tube
Standing waves are created on strings and in tubes with open or fixed ends.
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Refraction
Refraction occurs when light waves move from one medium to another.
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Lenses
Lenses use refraction to bend light waves.
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Path Difference and Interference
Difference in path lengths of waves due to boundary conditions can lead to constructive or destructive interference.
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Impedance
Changes in the material type a wave passes through can cause both reflection and transmission of the wave at the boundary.
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Dispersion of Light
A prism separates light into component colors due to the different index of refraction of difference wavelengths.
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Dispersion of Fourier Components
The difference in wave velocity for difference wavelengths in a material, the dispersion, results in changing wave shapes.
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Diffraction
Diffraction is the bending of waves around barriers and slits.
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