$sound diffraction$

$sound diffraction$

The amount of diffraction depends on the size of the gap. Furthermore, quantum mechanics also demonstrates that matter possesses wave-like properties and, therefore, undergoes diffraction (which is measurable at subatomic to molecular levels). These effects also occur when a light wave travels through a medium with a varying refractive index, or when a sound wave travels through a medium with varying acoustic impedance – all waves diffract, including gravitational waves, water waves, and other electromagnetic waves such as X-rays and radio waves.

$sound diffraction$

If there are multiple, closely spaced openings (e.g., a diffraction grating), a complex pattern of varying intensity can result. This is due to the addition, or interference, of different points on the wavefront (or, equivalently, each wavelet) that travel by paths of different lengths to the registering surface. The characteristic bending pattern is most pronounced when a wave from a coherent source (such as a laser) encounters a slit/aperture that is comparable in size to its wavelength, as shown in the inserted image. In classical physics, the diffraction phenomenon is described by the Huygens–Fresnel principle that treats each point in a propagating wavefront as a collection of individual spherical wavelets. Infinitely many points (three shown) along length d on the registering plate.

$sound diffraction$

Italian scientist Francesco Maria Grimaldi coined the word diffraction and was the first to record accurate observations of the phenomenon in 1660. The diffracting object or aperture effectively becomes a secondary source of the propagating wave. Not to be confused with refraction, the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another.Ī diffraction pattern of a red laser beam projected onto a plate after passing through a small circular aperture in another plateĭiffraction is the interference or bending of waves around the corners of an obstacle or through an aperture into the region of geometrical shadow of the obstacle/aperture.

$sound diffraction$

Sound diffraction