IG Phy –  Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction of Waves (I)

All waves can be reflected, refracted, and diffracted.

Reflection occurs when a wave bounces off a surface and changes direction.

Refraction occurs when the speed of a wave changes as it passes from one medium to another.

Diffraction is the bending of waves around the edges of an obstacle or through a gap.

A ripple tank can be used to demonstrate only the refraction of water waves.

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Waves slow down when they move from a shallow region to a deeper region of water.

When the speed of a wave increases and its frequency remains constant, the wavelength increases.

When waves slow down, their wavelength gets shorter if the frequency remains the same.

Refraction causes waves to bend when they enter a new medium at an angle.