Difference between Interference and diffraction

Difference between Interference and diffraction

The interference and diffraction are very important phenomenon of light and sound also. Interference is a phenomenon which occurs when a two wave of light are meet each other while traveling from the same medium and then the intensity of the resultant wave is increased. There are two types of interference one is constructive interference and another is destructive interference. Diffraction is a phenomenon in which wave is deflect from its original path when comes through an obstacle. There are two types of diffraction fresnels diffraction and fraunhofer diffraction. Coherent sources are required for the interference. There are many important applications of Interference and diffraction. The difference between them is as follows.

                        Interference                     Diffraction
1) Interference is a phenomenon which occures when a two wave of light are meet each other while traveling from the same medium.

2) Two coherent sources are required to takes place an Interference.

3) The band width of the wave is constant for the interference pattern.

4) The bright band have the same intensity in the interference pattern.

5) The dark fringes are perfectly black in the interference pattern so it has good contrast.

6) The amplitude of the two waves are add up in the interference.

1) Diffraction is a phenomenon in which bending of light takes place due to an obstacle.

2) No coherent sources are required to takes place an diffraction.

3) The band width of the wave is not constant for the diffraction.

4) The intensity of the bright bands is decrease as the order is increase.

5) The dark fringes are not perfectly black for the diffraction pattern so it has poor contrast.

6) The amplitude of the two waves is cancle out in the diffraction pattern.

Updated: February 22, 2022 — 3:01 pm

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