how do waves interact?. reflection reflection: happens when a wave bounces back after hitting a...
TRANSCRIPT
How do waves interact?
Reflection
Reflection: Happens when a wave bounces back after hitting a barrier.
How we see light! The object reflects light of the color seen
Sound, light, and water waves can all be reflected: Sound: Echo Light: How we see the planets and Moon. The
planets reflect the light of the sun.
Absorption and Scattering
Absorption: The transfer of light energy of particles of matter.
Scattering: An interaction of light with matter that causes light to change its energy, direction of motion, or both
Picture on 646
Refraction
Refraction: The bending of a wave as the wave passes between two substances in which the speed of the wave differs. Moves from one medium to another. The wave speed
changes, therefore the wavelength changes.
Rainbows: Occur because sunlight is refracted through water droplets. The colors occur because the different colors in sunlight is refracted by different amounts, and spread out into different colors.
Diffraction
Diffraction: A change in the direction of a wave when the waves finds an obstacle, edge, such as an opening. Light: Long wavelengths, don’t diffract very
much. Sound: Shot wavelengths, easily diffracted.
Interference
Interference: The result of two or more waves overlapping. Constructive: When
the crest or troughs of two waves overlap and creates a bigger wave, with a larger amplitude.
Destructive: Crest of one wave and the trough of another wave overlap. This results in no wave at all.