what is diffraction?
When does it occur?
Which waves will defract more when passing through an opening?
Oh my, where to start. Any time a wave encounters something of size the same order as the wavelength, diffraction happens. It does not matter if it is an ocean wave at the tip of a breakwater or a light wave hitting a diffraction grating.
Maybe google single slit diffraction
ive tried google its all confusing
Here is a diffraction grating
Note that the angle of the first maximum depends on the wavelength of the light, which allows you to separate wavelengths by their angle.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/phyopt/grating.html
Probably the easiest one to understand though is the DOUBLE slit so I will look for that
ah, here is a U tube for double slit. I bet that helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZdWQKaykvs
Yeah, cool, that is a pretty good U tube
Diffraction is a phenomenon that occurs when waves encounter an obstacle or pass through an opening and spread out. It is a behavior of waves that causes them to bend or spread around corners and obstacles.
Diffraction occurs when the size of the obstacle or opening is comparable to the wavelength of the wave. The wavelength is the distance between consecutive peaks or troughs of the wave.
The amount of diffraction that occurs depends on the relationship between the size of the opening and the wavelength of the wave. Generally, longer wavelengths and smaller openings result in more significant diffraction.
To determine which waves will diffract more when passing through an opening, you need to consider the wavelength of the wave and the size of the opening. If the wavelength is large compared to the size of the opening, more diffraction will occur. For example, sound waves with long wavelengths can diffract significantly through small openings like doorways or windows. Similarly, radio waves, which have even longer wavelengths, can diffract around buildings and other obstacles in their path.
On the other hand, waves with shorter wavelengths, such as visible light or X-rays, do not diffract as much through small openings because their wavelengths are much smaller than the size of most obstacles they encounter.
In summary, diffraction is the spreading out of waves when they encounter an obstacle or pass through an opening. It occurs when the size of the obstacle or opening is comparable to the wavelength of the wave. Longer wavelengths and smaller openings result in more significant diffraction.