key term - Huygens’s principle

Definition

Huygens's principle states that every point on a wavefront acts as a source of secondary spherical wavelets, and the primary wavefront at any later time is the envelope of these secondary wavelets. It is fundamental in understanding the propagation of waves and phenomena like diffraction.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Huygens's principle helps explain how waves can bend around obstacles and propagate through narrow slits, leading to diffraction patterns.
2. The principle is used to derive Snell's law of refraction and explain reflection.
3. It assumes that each point on a wavefront acts independently as a new source of spherical waves.
4. Huygens's principle can be used to describe both light and sound waves.
5. This principle is crucial for understanding interference patterns in wave optics.

Review Questions

Related terms

Diffraction:

The bending of waves around obstacles or through openings, which can result in interference patterns.

Wavefront:

A surface over which an oscillation or vibration has a constant phase.

Interference:

The phenomenon where two or more waves superpose to form a resultant wave with greater, lower, or same amplitude.