All Questions
15
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Is the Huygens' principle consistent for intersecting wavefronts?
When refraction takes place at the interface of two media, wavefronts can be extended to intersect as below:
At point of intersection, light requires no time to travel between the wavefronts. However,...
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Equating scalar summation of electric field to electric field at maxima in single slit diffraction
I was going through the standard derivation of intensity distribution in case of single slit diffraction
I don't understand why we equate the scalar summation of electric field phasors(or the length ...
- 5
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1
answer
132
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Confusion about Huygens Principle
According to Huygens Principle, the direction of propagation of waves will be perpendicular to the wavefronts. But I have Confusion in Fraunhofer's Diffraction due to Single Slit. Have a look in the ...
- 121
2
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51
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The fundamental relation between interference and diffraction [duplicate]
high schooler here.i was not convinced by the validity of the huygens secondary wavelets hypothesis and beleived that both interference and diffraction should arise from the simple wave equation $A=...
- 45
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116
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Interference and Fermat's principle
Fermat's principle states that light always takes the path for which the optical length is stationary.
\begin{align}
\delta\int n(\vec{r}) \:\mathrm ds = 0.
\end{align}
Furthermore, it is equivalent ...
- 37
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38
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How to explain interference of light by Huygens' principle? [duplicate]
there was an almost the same question here, but there was no appropriate answer(the answer there was incomplete and not to the point). now there is an updated answer to the question.
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82
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What is the reason behind diffraction of light?
What is the actual reason behind diffraction of light?
I want to know how is the phenomenon diffraction explained theoretically in physics (best if the discussion limits itself to classical physics).
...
- 181
2
votes
1
answer
309
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Huygens Principle, what's the benefit to this interpretation?
I don't understand what's the point in interpreting a wavefront as point sources emitting spherical waves. You then need to use magnetic and electric currents to explain away how there are not ...
- 1,325
8
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1
answer
700
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Question on wave interference?
When dealing with double slit interference or interference of waves from numerous slits, the equation $nλ = d \sin θ$. However I do not understand why for calculating the angle for maxima and minima ...
- 197
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2
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1k
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Is Huygens-Fresnel principle applicable for waves other than light?
In Wikipedia it was mentioned Luminous disturbance so I Did get confused that this principle only works for light waves and not for all of the Waves. Like some mechanical waves example wave on string.
...
- 103
6
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1
answer
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Why doesn't a backward wave exist? [duplicate]
Huygens principle says every point of wavefront emit wavelet in all directions. Then why does a back ward wave not exist? Can any expert tell real answer? On different sites I get different and ...
- 2,091
14
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8
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Why does a wave actually diffract?
I know that waves diffract around a slit and this is due to the Huygens-Fresnel principle. But I never understand this in an intuitive wave that why does a wave become a spherical wave front at the ...
- 2,479
4
votes
2
answers
17k
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White light diffraction
I have a hard time understanding why light waves of different wavelengths diffract in a different manner. According to Huygens' principle, every point on the wavefront is a source of a secondary wave. ...
- 283
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1
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Huygens Principle and principal of rectilinear propagation of light
Suppose I have a wave source and light waves are radiating from it. If I have a point source, then after a time t, I will have a circular wave front with a radius ct. By Huygens' principle each point ...
- 559
2
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2
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Huygens-Fresnel principle
Huygens principle states that
1) Every point on a given wavefront may be considered as a source of secondary wavelets which spread out with the speed of light in that medium. 2) The new wavefront is ...
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