Physics Concepts: Interference, Diffraction, and More

25 More Physics Questions

Interference and Diffraction

Interference: The adding together of two or more waves of the same kind that pass by the same point at the same time.

Diffraction: The ability of waves to bend around the edge of an obstacle in their path.

Rainbow Formation

Rainbows are caused by the dispersion of sunlight into its component colors when refracted by water droplets in the atmosphere.

Beta Decay and Atomic Units

Beta Decay: Occurs when there are too many neutrons. The emission of an electron by a neutron in the nucleus changes the neutron to a proton.

Atomic Mass Unit: One-twelfth of the mass of an atom of carbon-12. It is equal to approximately 1.66 x 10^-27 kg.

Electron-Volt: A unit of energy equal to the work done on an electron in accelerating it through a potential difference of one volt.

Fission and Fusion

Fission is the splitting of a heavy, unstable nucleus into two lighter nuclei, and fusion is the process where two light nuclei combine together, releasing vast amounts of energy.

Photoelectric Effect

• The higher the frequency of the light, the more kinetic energy the electrons have.
• A bright light causes more electrons to be emitted than a faint light, but the average kinetic energy of the electrons is the same.
• The electrons are always emitted at once, even when a faint light is used.

Wave-Particle Duality and Uncertainty

Wave-Particle Duality: The concept in quantum mechanics that every particle or quantum entity may be described as either a particle or a wave. The formula is λ = h/mv.

Uncertainty Principle: It is impossible to know both the exact position and the exact momentum of a particle at the same time.

Absorption and Emission Spectra

Absorption spectra are what you get when you shine white light through a gas. Light that has this energy is absorbed, and the rest of the light passes through.

Emission spectra are what you get when you heat up a gas. The electrons in the atoms absorb the heat energy, allowing them to jump into higher energy levels.

Exclusion Principle

Exclusion Principle: States that two or more identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state within a quantum system simultaneously.

E=hf

CGS and SI Units

In the CGS system, the units of length, mass, and time are centimeter (cm), gram (g), and second (s), respectively. In the SI system, the units of length, mass, and time are meter (m), kilogram (kg), and second (s), respectively.

Physical Quantities: length, time, work, energy, power, velocity, acceleration, force, mass, current, charge.

Charles's Law

Charles's Law: A law stating that the volume of an ideal gas at constant pressure is directly proportional to the absolute temperature.

Density

Density: The density of a substance is its mass per unit volume.

Archimedes' Principle

Archimedes' Principle: States that the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces.