14.4 Diffraction and Polarization

• Polarization refers to the orientation of the wave's oscillation
• Match the concept with its description in Young's Double Slit Experiment:

  Constructive Interference ↔️ Path difference is an integer multiple of wavelength

  Destructive Interference ↔️ Path difference is an odd multiple of half the wavelength
• Why does diffraction occur when waves encounter obstacles or openings?

  Waves spread out
• Reflection polarization occurs when a transverse wave reflects off a surface
• A polarizing filter allows only waves oscillating in a specific orientation to pass through.


  True
• What phenomena does Huygens' Principle help explain?

  Diffraction and interference
• Only transverse waves can be polarized because their oscillations are perpendicular to their direction of propagation
• Huygens' Principle is crucial for understanding wave phenomena like diffraction and interference.

  True
• What happens to diffraction as the wavelength of the wave decreases?

  It increases
• Shorter wavelengths experience more pronounced diffraction
• What does the diffraction formula relate?

  d sin θ = m λ
• The variable *θ* in the diffraction formula represents the angle of the diffraction pattern.


  True
• Visible light experiences more diffraction than radio waves around obstacles.

  False
• Only transverse waves can be polarized
• What does diffraction refer to?

  Bending of waves
• Huygens' Principle states that every point on a wavefront acts as a source of new secondary waves.


  True
• Malus' Law explains the reduction in intensity of polarized light as it passes through a second polarizer
• Longitudinal waves can be polarized.

  False
• What happens to a transverse wave during refraction polarization?

  It becomes partially polarized
• Steps in Huygens' Principle:

  1️⃣ Every point on a wavefront acts as a source of new secondary waves

  2️⃣ Secondary waves propagate forward in all directions

  3️⃣ The envelope of these waves constitutes the new position of the wavefront
• Diffraction occurs because waves have the ability to spread out and interfere with each other.

  True
• Why can longitudinal waves not be polarized?

  Oscillations are parallel
• Young's Double Slit Experiment creates an interference pattern by passing light through two narrow, parallel slits
• What is diffraction in wave phenomena?

  Bending of waves
• Smaller openings or obstacles lead to more pronounced diffraction.


  True
• In the diffraction formula, *d* represents the width of the slit or obstacle
• What does *λ* stand for in the diffraction formula?

  Wavelength
• Radio waves with longer wavelengths experience more diffraction
• What principle explains diffraction by considering secondary wavelets?

  Huygens' principle
• Longitudinal waves can be polarized because their oscillations are parallel to their direction of propagation.

  False
• In Huygens' principle, every point on a wavefront acts as a source of new secondary waves.
• What is the path difference required for constructive interference in Young's experiment?

  Integer multiple of λ
• Diffraction occurs because waves spread out and interfere with each other.
• Shorter wavelengths experience more diffraction than longer wavelengths.


  True
• What is the key concept of Huygens' principle?

  Secondary wavelets
• Steps in Young's Double Slit Experiment

  1️⃣ Light passes through two slits

  2️⃣ Interference pattern is created on a screen

  3️⃣ Constructive interference forms bright fringes

  4️⃣ Destructive interference forms dark fringes
• Dark fringes in Young's experiment occur when the path difference is an odd multiple of half the wavelength.

  True
• Diffraction occurs because waves can spread out and interfere with each other after encountering an opening
• Smaller openings or obstacles lead to more pronounced diffraction
• Match the variable in the diffraction formula with its meaning:

  d ↔️ Width of the slit or obstacle

  θ ↔️ Angle of the diffraction pattern

  m ↔️ Order of the diffraction

  λ ↔️ Wavelength of the wave