diffraction

dif·frac·tion

D0217100 (dĭ-frăk′shən)n. Change in the directions and intensities of a group of waves after passing by an obstacle or through an aperture whose size is approximately the same as the wavelength of the waves.

[New Latin diffrāctiō, diffrāctiōn-, from Latin diffrāctus, past participle of diffringere : dis-, apart; see dis- + frangere, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]

diffraction

(dɪˈfrækʃən) n1. (General Physics) physics a deviation in the direction of a wave at the edge of an obstacle in its path2. (General Physics) any phenomenon caused by diffraction and interference of light, such as the formation of light and dark fringes by the passage of light through a small aperture3. (General Physics) deflection of sound waves caused by an obstacle or by nonhomogeneity of a medium[C17: from New Latin diffractiō a breaking to pieces, from Latin diffringere to shatter, from dis- apart + frangere to break]

dif•frac•tion

(dɪˈfræk ʃən)

n. a modulation of waves in response to an obstacle, as an object, slit, or grating, in the path of propagation, giving rise in light waves to a banded pattern or to a spectrum. [1665–75; < New Latin diffrāctiō, derivative of Latin diffringere to break up]

dif·frac·tion

(dĭ-frăk′shən) The bending or turning of a wave, such as a light wave, when it encounters an obstacle, such as an edge, or a hole whose size is similar to the wavelength of the wave. The patterns made by the diffraction of waves can be useful for understanding the minute structures of objects. The diffraction patterns made by x-rays as they pass between the atoms of a molecule, for example, are studied in order to determine the molecule's overall structure. See more at wave.

diffraction

An effect caused when, after passing an obstacle or through a narrow slit, waves (e.g. of light) interfere with each other and may bend or spread.

Thesaurus

Noun

$diffraction - when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands$ diffraction - when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bandsoptical phenomenon - a physical phenomenon related to or involving lightX-ray diffraction - the scattering of X rays by the atoms of a crystal; the diffraction pattern shows structure of the crystal

Translations

difraccióndiffrazioneflessione

diffraction

diffraction,

bending of waves around the edge of an obstacle. When light strikes an opaque body, for instance, a shadow forms on the side of the body that is shielded from the light source. Ordinarily light travels in straight lines through a uniform, transparent medium, but those light waves that just pass the edges of the opaque body are bent, or deflected. This diffraction produces a fuzzy border region between the shadow area and the lighted area. Upon close examination it can be seen that this border region is actually a series of alternate dark and light lines extending both slightly into the shadow area and slightly into the lighted area. If the observer looks for these patterns, he will find that they are not always sharp. However a sharp pattern can be produced if a single, distant light source, or a point light source, is used to cast a shadow behind an opaque body. Diffraction also occurs when light waves interact with a device called a diffraction grating. A diffraction grating may be either a transmission grating (a plate pierced with small, parallel, evenly spaced slits through which light passes) or a reflection grating (a plate of metal or glass that reflects light from polished strips between parallel lines ruled on its surface). In the case of a reflection grating, the smooth surfaces between the lines act as narrow slits. The number of these slits or lines is often 12,000 or more to the centimeter (30,000 to the inch). The ruling is generally done with a fine diamond point. Since the light diffracted is also dispersed (see spectrumspectrum,
arrangement or display of light or other form of radiation separated according to wavelength, frequency, energy, or some other property. Beams of charged particles can be separated into a spectrum according to mass in a mass spectrometer (see mass spectrograph).
..... Click the link for more information. ), these gratings are utilized in diffraction spectroscopesspectroscope,
optical instrument for producing spectral lines and measuring their wavelengths and intensities, used in spectral analysis (see spectrum). When a material is heated to incandescence it emits light that is characteristic of the atomic makeup of the material.
..... Click the link for more information. for producing and analyzing spectra and for measuring directly the wavelengths of lines appearing in certain spectra. The diffraction of X rays by crystals is used to examine the atomic and molecular structure of these crystals. Beams of particles can also exhibit diffraction since, according to the quantum theoryquantum theory,
modern physical theory concerned with the emission and absorption of energy by matter and with the motion of material particles; the quantum theory and the theory of relativity together form the theoretical basis of modern physics.
..... Click the link for more information. , a moving particle also has certain wavelike properties. Both electron diffraction and neutron diffraction have been important in modern physics research. Sound waves and water waves also undergo diffraction.

Diffraction

The bending of light, or other waves, into the region of the geometrical shadow of an obstacle. More exactly, diffraction refers to any redistribution in space of the intensity of waves that results from the presence of an object that causes variations of either the amplitude or phase of the waves. Most diffraction gratings cause a periodic modulation of the phase across the wavefront rather than a modulation of the amplitude. Although diffraction is an effect exhibited by all types of wave motion, this article will deal only with electromagnetic waves, especially those of visible light. For discussion of the phenomenon as encountered in other types of waves See Electron diffraction, Neutron diffraction, Sound

Diffraction is a phenomenon of all electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves; microwaves; infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light; and x-rays. The effects for light are important in connection with the resolving power of optical instruments. See X-ray diffraction

There are two main classes of diffraction, which are known as Fraunhofer diffraction and Fresnel diffraction. The former concerns beams of parallel light, and is distinguished by the simplicity of the mathematical treatment required and also by its practical importance. The latter class includes the effects in divergent light, and is the simplest to observe experimentally.

To illustrate the difference between the methods of observation of the two types of diffraction, Fig. 1 shows the experimental arrangements required to observe them for a circular hole in a screen S. The light originates at a very small source O, which can conveniently be a pinhole illuminated by sunlight. In Fraunhofer diffraction, the source lies at the principal focus of a lens L₁ which renders the light parallel as it falls on the aperture. A second lens L₂ focuses parallel diffracted beams on the observing screen F, situated in the principal focal plane of L₂. In Fresnel diffraction, no lenses intervene. The diffraction effects occur chiefly near the borders of the geometrical shadow, indicated by the broken lines. An alternative way of distinguishing the two classes, therefore, is to say that Fraunhofer diffraction concerns the effects near the focal point of a lens or mirror, while Fresnel diffraction concerns those effects near the edges of shadows. Photographs of diffraction patterns are shown in Fig. 2.

Diffraction by a plane trasmission grating

diffraction

(di-frak -shŏn) The bending of light or other electromagnetic radiation at the edges of obstacles, with the resulting formation of light and dark bands or rings (diffraction patterns) at the edges of the shadow. An example of a diffraction pattern is the Airy disk observed in telescope images of distant celestial objects. A small aperture or slit produces similar annular or banded patterns. Diffraction results from the wave nature of electromagnetic radiation. See also interference.

diffraction

[di′frak·shən] (physics) Any redistribution in space of the intensity of waves that results from the presence of an object causing variations of either the amplitude or phase of the waves; found in all types of wave phenomena.

diffraction

1. Physics a deviation in the direction of a wave at the edge of an obstacle in its path 2. any phenomenon caused by diffraction and interference of light, such as the formation of light and dark fringes by the passage of light through a small aperture 3. deflection of sound waves caused by an obstacle or by nonhomogeneity of a medium

diffraction

The bending of electromagnetic waves as they pass around corners or through holes smaller than the wavelengths of the waves themselves. See diffraction grating and refraction.

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Words related to diffraction

noun when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands

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