Interference is the name given to the cancellation and reinforcement that occurs when two waves meet and superpose on each other. The cancellation and reinforcement happen at the same point when the waves overlap if the waves are coherent.Coherent waves vibrate with the same frequency and have a constant phase difference. Interference patterns can be seen because the points of reinforcement and cancellation do not change position.
Interference
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Specification: AQA Physics (7407), AS-level, 3.3.2.1 Interference. Topic: Waves.
Key terms in this lesson
- Phase difference
- The difference, measured in radians or degrees, between the phases of two oscillating points or waves.
- Fringe spacing
- The distance between the centres of adjacent bright, or dark, fringes in an interference pattern.