Interference Definition and 999 Threads

  1. M

    Which describes the interference at P? (Multiple Choice)

    Homework Statement In Young’s double-slit interference experiment, if the rays that reach point P on the viewing screen have a path length difference of 2.50 wavelengths, which describes the interference at P? A. It is the central bright fringe. B. It is the first dark fringe to either...
  2. S

    Wavelength used in interference

    Homework Statement Two flat glass plates are stacked and a thin paper strip is inserted between them at one side, creating a narrow wedge-shaped space between the plates. As shown in the figure below, monochromatic light that has a wavelength in air is directed at the plates from above. When...
  3. D

    Phase difference in a two slit interference problem

    Homework Statement In the figure below, sources A and B emit long-range radio waves of wavelength λ = 390 m, with the phase of the emission from A ahead of that from source B by 90°. The distance rA from A to detector D is greater than the corresponding distance rB by 130 m. What is the phase...
  4. S

    Single particle single slit interference - question about the experiment

    Came across the below experiment, on Wikipedia, but don't understand how it was performed... It was shown experimentally that: in a double-slit system where only one slit was open at any time, interference was nonetheless observed provided the path difference was such that the detected...
  5. A

    How can we explain the behavior of interference patterns in different frames?

    A train is moving from the left to the right direction. There is a light source emitting 2 beams of lights toward 2 slits A and B at both ends of the train. The source is put near the slit A Than B. A ground observer is watching the scene and sees that the 2 light rays reaching A and B...
  6. P

    Antennas causing destructive interference

    Homework Statement Two radio antennas radiating in phase are located at points A and B, 200m apart. The radio waves have a frequency of 5.80MHz. A radio receiver is moved out from point B along a line perpendicular to the line connecting A and B. At what distances from B will there be...
  7. B

    Understanding Particle Self-Interference in the Double Slit Experiment

    I was wondering to what extent we understand the self interference of particles in the double slit experiment. More specifically, I have heard that a single particle, acting as a wave can pass through both slits at once and that is what causes the interference. This explanation seems a bit fishy...
  8. W

    Energy present in a localized area during nodal interference

    When two waves interact producing a "cancelling" effect as seen by noise reducing headsets, what kinematic energy is associate with the effected medium immediately near the cancellation point(standing wave)? Furthermore, in an ideal setting, would it be possible to instantly reorient the...
  9. A

    How Does Thin-Film Interference Create Color Effects?

    I consider myself very well-read on the phenomenon of thin-film interference: how it works, how it's used in lens making, etc. HOWEVER... there's one thing I don't get: Thin-film interference only occurs for one specific wavelength at any given point (according to all the sources I've read)...
  10. C

    Can waves of different types produce interference?

    Hi all. Just a quick question, probably a silly one. Due to wave-particle duality all particles have both wave-like and particle-like behaviors. The wave-like properties of, say, an electron can result in an electron interference pattern. So, my question is: Can waves of different things...
  11. K

    Constructive Interference Problem in the Time Domain

    Homework Statement Two waves on a string are given by the following functions: Y1 (x,t) = 4cos(20t-x) Y2 (x,t) = -4cos(20t+x) where x is in centimeters. The waves are said to interfere constructively when their superposition |Ys| = |Y1 + Y2| is a maximum and they interfere destructively when...
  12. L

    Very confused: why is the path difference in double slit interference dsinθ?

    Homework Statement The more I think about path difference, the more confused I get. First of all, HOW DO PEOPLE know that the path difference is dsinθ? Why do we draw a line coming from the first ray that is PERPENDICULAR to the second ray when determining path difference? Please see...
  13. K

    Double-Slit Interference Problem

    Homework Statement A physics instructor wants to produce a double-slit interference pattern large enough for her class to see. For the size of the room, she decides that the distance between successive bright fringes on the screen should be at least 2.81 cm. If the slits have a separation d...
  14. A

    Can Beats Be Heard When Tuning a Guitar Using the Beat Method?

    I'm studying wave interference and I have a few questions regarding it that I can't quite figure out: 1.) I was once taught that for waves to interfere, they have to be of the same frequency, but then how can beat interference occur? What are the actual requirements for interference? 2.)...
  15. C

    How can you prepare a state with a single photon?

    I'm trying to write up an experiment that I have done on single photon interference. The design is as follows: Class 2 HeNe laser 25 micron pinhole double slit output via CCD I have all the data, but I cannot find anything that says that having a small pinhole about 80cm from the double slit...
  16. P

    Explaining the Rainbow Colors in Thin Films: Interference Homework Problem

    Homework Statement When light is shined on thin films the interference pattern results in: a. there is no interference pattern *b. rainbow like colors c. light and dark pattern with no separation of colors d. a mirror quality reflection e. polarization of the light The...
  17. K

    How Far Do Light Interference Patterns Extend in Space?

    Say you have two points that are close to each other emitting light in phase with each other, such as in the diagram below Will the interference pattern that results occur all throughout space (all along x and y and z directions), or is there some distance from the points after which there...
  18. X

    Destructive interference in the wavefunction, is this conceptually explainable?

    Hello, destructive interference seems like an important part of quantum physics, but I'm finding it very hard to grasp it conceptually. For instance in the Elitzur–Vaidman bomb tester, destructive interference in the mirror is used to determine if one of the paths is blocked. What exactly is...
  19. F

    Determining phase of resultant from partial interference of waves

    When you have waves that are out of phase by some fraction of a cycle, e.g not exactly in phase and not exactly 180 degrees anti-phase, how do you determine the phase (relative to the original component waveforms) of the resultant? Specifically, is there an equation that solves for phase...
  20. Z

    Problem interpreting this interference question

    1. Homework Statement "A thin piece of metal foil of thickness 0.0700mm separates one end of two pieces of optically flat glass. The top sheet is 12.0cm long. Light of wavelength 529nm is normally incident on the glass. How many interference fringes are observed per cm in the reflected...
  21. D

    Interference terms in particle spin

    In the double slit experiment there are interference terms which are responsible for the way in which particles appear on a screen (diffraction pattern). The density matrix for an electron with spin |+X> going into a stern Gerlach alligned in the z direction also has off diagonal terms which...
  22. P

    Does Energy Redistribution in Wave Interference Happen Superluminally?

    Because energy cannot be destroyed, when waves interfere destructively the energy doesn't really disappear, it's simply redistributed to areas of constructive interference, right? But isn't this energy redistribution instantaneous?
  23. Y

    Understanding the Scully and Yoon-Ho Experiment: Interference in D0

    Hi, I wanted to ask a question regarding the D0 detector in the original Scully and Yoon-Ho experiment (from 2000): According to the paper itself, and to the wiki article: "Note that the total pattern of all signal photons at D0, whose entangled idlers went to multiple different...
  24. C

    Calculating Wavelength from Double-Slit Interference Pattern

    Homework Statement A double-slit interference pattern is created by two narrow slits spaced 0.21mm apart. The distance between the first and the fifth minimum on a screen 60cm behind the slits is 6.2mm. What is the wavelength of the light used in this experiment? Homework Equations...
  25. S

    Do we really need physical/real waves to explain single particle interference?

    in explaining the interference pattern that happens in double slit, single particle interference - some of the interpretations, for example De Broglie–Bohm interpretation: assumes that (some sort of) "waves" travel through both slits simultaneously and interfere with each other the...
  26. A

    Why need a screen to display interference

    Homework Statement why do we need a viewing screen in order to see interference patterns? why can we see interference patterns through our fingers when we look at a distant light source and we don't need a screen in that case? what do we mean by visible light? can we see the wave itself...
  27. QuarkCharmer

    Why Did the Wave Interference Proof Simplify This Way?

    Homework Statement Homework Equations y_{3} = y_{1}+y_{2} f(x,t) = y_{m}sin(kx-ωt+\phi) The Attempt at a Solution So, I'm going back over a proof done in my physics course, where the sum of two waves equals the resulting wave. The proof was on constructive and destructive interference. I'm...
  28. S

    Need a demonstration of interference in Waves

    Hey, I am having a project in Physics, and the project is about interference in Waves. We got a task, and I need to demonstrate how waves interfere with each other. I got a demonstration with Lasers, how they split up, but I also need a much more simple demonstration. Something like when...
  29. J

    Destructive interference in electron diffraction

    Whatt happens during destructive interference of electrons. Two electrons(waves) combine and cancel each other out so no dot is produced on the screen?? Then where did the electrons go? First of all : How is a dot created on the screen? - is it because of the wave nature of electron or...
  30. S

    How is interference by longer path generally explained by physicists?

    The interference of light (or single particle photon) is as if the photon traveled all possible paths. now the something ("wave") traveling the longer path would arrive late and hence cannot interfere (timing issue). Yet the pattern shows interference. Some conclude that the past and...
  31. S

    Standing wave interference patterns on liquid metals

    Hi, first post, so take it easy on me, I've had an idea for producing metallic objects with high surface area for several years, but lack the necessary physics knowledge to act on it or, really, inclination (and money) to go through years of school to gain such. The idea is as follows: A...
  32. F

    Understanding Interference: Wave A & Wave B

    Interference Question: I'm trying to understand interference, I get the basic concept, that when two EM waves are superposed the resultant's amplitude of the vector sum of each original wave's respective amplitude. It's the following the creates confusion. Picture the figure below. Wave A...
  33. C

    Double Slit Wave Interference Question

    Homework Statement Blue light (λ = 482 nm) is directed through parallel slits separated by 0.15 mm. A fringe pattern appears on a ascreen 2.00 m away. How far from the central axis on either side are the second order dark bands? λ = 4.82 x 10-7 m d = 1.5 x10-4 m L = 2.00 m m = 2 y= ...
  34. F

    Interference: Calculating the direction of the resultant wave

    Two coherent waveforms (could be pulses or wavetrains), that intersect at an angle, as in the picture below. Assume that we are able to make the waveforms in phase and superposed at the point of intersection, such that they constructively interfere. In what direction does the...
  35. P

    Thermal expansion of an interference fit

    I have a bearing that is fixed into its housing by means of an interference fit (to test the effects of having a bearing that has become stuck due to build up of contaminants). I am using a bearing of ID 15.92mm ± 0.005 made of High lead Tin Bronze Alloy with a thermal coefficient of expansion...
  36. A

    Interference Pattern versus SR

    I posted this thought experiment in a previous thread before 4 months or so, but I would like to reiterate it now: A frame of reference (FOR) has double slits moves relative to a ground FOR. Let`s make an arrangement so that when the 2 ends of FORs coincide, 2 small slits of moving FOR are...
  37. S

    Single slit single particle interference

    If we send one photon, at a time, through a single slit do we observe the interference pattern? Specially at the edges
  38. A

    Diffraction and interference presentation

    Homework Statement hi, my problem isn't exactly mathematical. I am currently making a presentation on diffraction and interference and its asked me to make overheads containing main concept, scientific and theoretical background and other topics im confused on the difference between the...
  39. M

    Breaking EM Destructive Interference

    Hi, I have a question about destructive interference. Suppose I have two very closely spaced EM sources, e.g two RF emitters. At a point far away from the sources the arbitrarily orientated magnetic field due to source one is: B1(t)=sin(ωt) and source two: B2(t)=sin(ωt+pi) so the total field...
  40. A

    Interference fringe of light beams of different frequencies

    I have a question. If you have two light beams of different frequencies, would you observe interference fringes?
  41. S

    Interference in Air Wedges exercise

    I have this question for my physics assignment. Homework Statement Two plane glass plates 10.0 cm long, touching at one end , are separated at the other end by strip of paper 1.5x10^{-3} mm thick. When the plates are illuminated by monochromatic light, the avreage distance between...
  42. U

    Typical dimension of an apparatus for electron interference

    Greetings This is my first post in this section of PF. As the title says, I just want to know the typical dimensions of the two-slit experiment, intended for electron interference. That is, what are the slits made of, what is their spacing from the screen,source and from each other. Is...
  43. J

    Thin Film Interference- Transmission

    Homework Statement A thin layer of water (n=1.33) is surrounded by air what wavelength of light will not be transmitted through the water at the point where the water is 113 nm thick? The Attempt at a Solution - In phase - Path difference of 2T. - Constructive Interference I just...
  44. H

    Wave Interference in complex notaion

    Homework Statement Four waves of equal frequency ω are made to interfere. The amplitudes of the first two waves are equal (A), but those of the other two are equal to 2A. Their phase angles relative to that of the first wave are 0, ∏/3, ∏/4, and 2∏/3. Find the amplitude, frequency and phase...
  45. J

    Interference Patten in standing waves

    Please Help! Whenever i read standing waves, the interference patten can be seen as attached pictures. I want to know how this pictures can be taken? How lights can be interfered?
  46. A

    I have a very basic question about wave interference and more

    I have a very basic question about wave interference and more specifically electromagnetic wave interference. Suppose two beams of light each with amplitude A interfere with the same phase. the amplitude of the resulting beam is 2A. the two beams at the start have powers p= A^{2} each. The...
  47. S

    Doppler shift of an approaching source with interference problem

    Homework Statement P15. The police car with its 300 Hz siren is moving toward a warehouse at 30 m/s, intending to crash through the door. What frequency does the driver of the police car hear reflected from the warehouse? (5 marks) Homework Equations doppler shift for an approaching...
  48. S

    Interference of waves (check my hmwk questions please)

    For the first question, number 8 i have put up 2 attachment, one with the question the other one with the answer, I am not sure of the answers however, so if someone can check to see if theyre right or not, and if not show me how to attain the right answer. thanks For the next question, number...
  49. H

    Central Maxima & Interference: Investigating Intensity

    The central maxima is of highest intensity and then the successive maximas keep reducing in intensity. Has it got something to do with increasing number of waves which sort of interefere (the word has not been used in the sense of intereference pattern but as a normal english word) with the...
  50. F

    Constructive and Destructive Interference

    Homework Statement Two identical loudspeakers are located at points A & B, 2.00 m apart. The loudspeakers are driven by the same amplifier and produce sound waves with a frequency of 784 Hz. Take the speed of sound in the air to be 344m/s. A small microphone is moved out from point B along a...
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