Physics 212 Lecture: "Diffraction and Transverse Standing Waves." Feb 11, 1998

Diffraction occurs when a wave interferes with itself after passing through an opening
Edges in an opening act like new sources of waves
Waves can diffract around walls and corners
There is a relationship between the width of the opening, the wavelength, and the angle between central maximum and first minimum
Transverse standing waves occur when a wave runs down a string, reflects off the far end, comes back to the origin --- and interferes constructively with another wave.
The fundamental wavelength has one crest between the ends
The fundamental frequency is the frequency with which a single wave reaches one end of the string
There is a family of harmonic frequencies (and wavelengths) which are multiples of the fundamental frequency

This lecture discusses material in Chapter 17 of Cutnell and Johnson.

Diffraction