Instructional Master

LSM 9.2-2

Diffraction of Water Waves

The relationship between wavelength and amount of diffraction:

(b)

(c)
short wavelengths

long wavelengths

The relationship between the size of the aperture or opening and the amount of diffraction:
(a)
incident waves

large opening

Copyright 2003 Nelson

nearly
straight-line
propagation

(b)

(c)

incident waves

incident waves

small opening

shorter wavelength,
no change in opening

Chapter 9 Waves and Light 303