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What are waves and what happens to them when they pass through a gap? Do different sorts of waves behave in the same way? Dr Andrew Norton of The Open University uses a ripple tank to demonstrate some of the key features of wave motion, and show how waves spread out when they pass through an aperture. Using a laser and a diffraction grating, he shows that light waves spread out in the same way. The album draws on material originally created to support The Open University course Exploring Science.
Track 4: Apertures and diffraction
Andrew Norton shows what happens when waves pass through apertures of different sizes.
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Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exploring wave motion | A brief introduction to this album. Play now Exploring wave motion |
| 2 | Properties of waves | Andrew Norton uses a ripple tank to demonstrate some basic features of waves. Play now Properties of waves |
| 3 | Oscillation and wave speed | Andrew Norton demonstrates the effects of changing the driving frequency of the oscillator that's creating the wave. Play now Oscillation and wave speed |
| 4 | Apertures and diffraction | Andrew Norton shows what happens when waves pass through apertures of different sizes. Play now Apertures and diffraction |
| 5 | Diffraction of light | Andrew Norton uses lasers to show what happens when light passes through a small aperture. Play now Diffraction of light |
| 6 | Passing light through multiple apertures | Andrew Norton shows how diffraction gratings produce characteristic sets of light spots. Play now Passing light through multiple apertures |
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