1. Diffraction of Waves

2. Diffraction of Waves Diffraction:
A change in direction or bending of waves as they pass through an opening or around a barrier in their path.

3. Diffraction of Waves - Wavelength
Wavelength: The smaller the wavelength, the less diffraction will occur. (The sharpness of the bending will be less)
Smaller λ = Less Diffraction
Larger λ = More Diffraction

4. Diffraction of Waves – Through an Opening
Opening in a Barrier: The smaller the opening, the greater the diffraction. The larger the opening, the less diffraction

5. Diffraction of Waves – Two or More Openings
Diffraction creates circular waves which interfere with each other.
Constructive interference where 2 crests meet

6. Interference Pattern
Diffraction creates a common pattern seen in experiments known as an interference pattern
If a detector is placed after waves pass through an opening, it can detect the intensity of the wave at different points

7. Interference Patterns
If there is only 1 opening, the pattern looks something like this

8. Interference patterns
If there are 2 slits, the pattern changes
The waves will interfere with each other (constructively and destructively)
This creates a pattern that looks like this:

9. Double Slit Experiment
Long standing belief was that electrons were tiny pieces of matter and did not behave as waves

10. Double Slit Experiment
What did this tell us?
The double slit experiment showed that electrons particles AND waves
This lead to the understanding of Wave-Particle Duality
All elementary particles are actually waves and particles