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Waves & Optics

Transverse and longitudinal waves, wave speed, frequency, wavelength, interference, polarization, and the physics of light and sound.

15 articles

Lens and mirror equation - converging lens forming a real image with ray diagram and 1/f = 1/u + 1/v labeled

Waves & Optics

Jul 29, 202613 min read

1/f = 1/u + 1/v — The Lens and Mirror Equation Explained

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Wave Superposition: Adding Waves, Phase & Interference Patterns

Waves & Optics

Jun 27, 202611 min read

How Waves Add Together — Superposition, Phase Difference and Beats

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Snell's law — light ray bending at an interface between two media with n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂ labeled

Waves & Optics

Jun 23, 202613 min read

n₁sinθ₁ = n₂sinθ₂ — Snell's Law, Derived and Explained

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Standing wave on a string showing nodes, antinodes, and the first three harmonics

Waves & Optics

Jun 23, 202612 min read

What Are Standing Waves? Nodes, Antinodes and Resonance Explained

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Polarisation of light — unpolarised light passing through polariser to become plane-polarised

Waves & Optics

Jun 22, 202612 min read

How Does Light Get Polarised? Malus's Law Explained

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Wave interference — two wave sources producing constructive and destructive interference pattern

Waves & Optics

Jun 15, 202612 min read

What Is Wave Interference? Constructive, Destructive and Superposition

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Electromagnetic Waves: Speed, Spectrum & Wave Properties

Waves & Optics

Jun 12, 202612 min read

What Are Electromagnetic Waves? Speed, Spectrum and Properties

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$Diffraction grating — parallel slits producing sharp maxima at angles given by dsinθ = nλ$

Waves & Optics

Jun 10, 202612 min read

What Is Diffraction? Single Slit, Gratings and dsinθ = nλ

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Doppler effect — compressed wave fronts in front of a moving source and stretched wave fronts behind

Waves & Optics

Apr 25, 202613 min read

The Doppler Effect Explained: Why Pitch Changes as a Source Moves

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The electromagnetic spectrum — from radio waves through visible light to gamma rays

Waves & Optics

Apr 22, 202616 min read

What's in the Electromagnetic Spectrum? Wavelengths and Frequencies

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Longitudinal waves — compression and rarefaction of a spring illustrating parallel wave oscillation

Waves & Optics

Apr 8, 202615 min read

What Is a Longitudinal Wave? Definition, Diagram and Examples

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$Reflection and refraction — light ray hitting a glass surface showing reflected and refracted beams with angles$

Waves & Optics

Apr 3, 202615 min read

How Light Reflects and Refracts — Snell's Law and Critical Angle

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Young's double-slit experiment — two slits producing interference pattern of bright and dark fringes on a screen

Waves & Optics

Mar 27, 202614 min read

Young's Double-Slit Experiment — Proof That Light Is a Wave

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Wave speed frequency and wavelength — laboratory oscilloscope showing wave properties

Waves & Optics

Mar 5, 202614 min read

How Are Wave Speed, Frequency and Wavelength Related?

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Transverse waves — ripples spreading across water surface showing perpendicular wave oscillation

Waves & Optics

Jan 15, 202622 min read

What Is a Transverse Wave? Diagrams, Properties and Examples

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