Physics 9702 · AS & A Level · Diffraction

Diffraction — practice question

Diagram 1 presents a ripple tank experiment where plane waves are diffracted by passing through a narrow slit in a metal sheet. Diagram 2 shows the same tank, but here the slit is wider. For both cases, the wave pattern arriving at the slit and the pattern leaving it are displayed. Which action would make the waves in diagram 1 diffract less, so that the emergent pattern becomes closer to the one shown in diagram 2?

  • Aincreasing the frequency of vibration of the bar
  • Bincreasing the speed of the waves by making the water in the tank deeper
  • Creducing the amplitude of vibration of the bar
  • Dreducing the length of the vibrating bar

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