8.3 Interference

4 of 4 objectives have lessons · 0 studied · 0 secure

Lessons

Interference and coherenceTwo waves can add to brightness or cancel to darkness. That only stays still if the sources are coherent. 7 min, not started
Two-source interference in the labRipple tanks, loudspeakers and microwave horns all show the same thing: overlapping coherent waves make fixed maxima and minima. 7 min, not started
When do you actually see fringes?Coherence, similar amplitudes, monochromatic light and fringes far enough apart: the four conditions that make a visible pattern. 7 min, not started
Young's double slit: λ = ax / DTwo slits lit by one source give equally spaced fringes, and their spacing measures the wavelength. 8 min, not started

Syllabus objectives

4 objectives

What Cambridge says you should be able to do, in our words. Codes are the topic number plus the objective’s position.

8.3.1

Understand the terms interference and coherence.

Taught in: Interference and coherence · 6 questions

8.3.2

Show an understanding of experiments demonstrating two-source interference with water waves in a ripple tank, with sound, with light and with microwaves.

Taught in: Young's double slit: λ = ax / D, Two-source interference in the lab · 7 questions

8.3.3

Understand what conditions are needed for two-source interference fringes to be observed.

Taught in: When do you actually see fringes? · 6 questions

8.3.4

For double-slit interference using light, recall and use λ = ax / D.

Taught in: Young's double slit: λ = ax / D · 5 questions