Wave Interference from "summary" of Fundamentals of Physics by Jearl Walker,David Halliday,Robert Resnick
Wave interference is the phenomenon of two waves coming together to create a new wave pattern. It is the result of the combination of two or more waves that create a combined wave with a different shape than the individual waves.- When two waves move at the same time, they can interfere with each other and create new patterns. This phenomenon is what we call wave interference.
- At specific locations within a wave interference pattern, constructive interference may occur. If two waves meet and their amplitudes combine, the resulting amplitude will get bigger than that of either of the original waves.
- Wave interference also occurs if one wave is reflected off a solid object such as a wall or mirror, creating an interference pattern between the incident wave and the reflected wave.
- Wave interference is a key concept used in fiber optics and wireless communication technology as these technologies rely on controlling and manipulating the propagation of electromagnetic waves.
- In contrast, destructive interference happens when two waves meet and their amplitudes cancel each other out, forming very low or no amplitude areas within an interference pattern.
- Interference can also result in sound cancellation; when two identical sound waves meet at the same place, the resulting sound intensity will be zero.
- As the two waves cross paths, their energy is either combined or cancelled out, causing a regular pattern of crests and troughs to be formed.
- Interference phenomena can also appear in light waves, where the light acts like an interference pattern due to overlapping of diffracted beams followed by splitting of particles.
