diffraktioonis

Diffraction is a phenomenon that occurs when a wave encounters an obstacle or a slit that is comparable in size to its wavelength. This results in the wave spreading out or bending around the edges of the obstacle or slit. Diffraction is a fundamental property of waves and is observed in various types of waves, including light, sound, and water waves.

The principle of diffraction can be explained using the Huygens-Fresnel principle, which states that every point on a wavefront can be considered as a source of secondary spherical wavelets. The new wavefront is the envelope of these secondary wavelets. When a wave encounters an obstacle, the wavelets from the edges of the obstacle interfere with each other, leading to the spreading out of the wave.

Diffraction is responsible for several well-known optical phenomena, such as the bending of light around the edges of an object, the formation of a diffraction pattern in a double-slit experiment, and the spreading of light from a point source. It is also used in various applications, including the design of optical instruments, the development of diffraction gratings, and the analysis of wave properties in materials.

In the field of quantum mechanics, diffraction is used to describe the behavior of particles, such as electrons and neutrons, which exhibit wave-like properties. The diffraction of particles is used to study the structure of materials and to investigate the fundamental properties of matter.