| <Previous | January | February | March | April | May | Next> |
Lecture 11: Interference
February 26, 2026
Reading Assignment
- Read: 14.6, 32.1-32.2; Supplementary Reading Ch 1.3
- Study: Exs 14.5; Supp Exs 1-3, 1-4
Objectives
- (Continuing objective) Describe applications of the concepts of induction, waves, and light to everyday “real life” situations.
- For interference problems, determine the relative phase difference from path length differences, and use the method of phasors to determine the total amplitude and the relative intensity of the combined waves.
- Use the method of phasors to locate maxima and minima in a two-slit interference problem, multi-slit interference pattern, or for diffraction gratings.
Homework
- Friday's Assigned Problems:
A87, A89, A93ab, A103; CH 32: 11, 13, 41;
Supp CH 1: 5
- Monday's Hand-In Problems:
A88, A104; Supp CH 1: 4, 6;
CH 32: 40
Note: this is only the second half of the hand-in set.
Lecture Materials
- Click here for the Lecture overheads. Answers: CT1 - 1; CT2 - 3; CT3 - 6; CT4 - 4
- Excel sheet showing the addition of two waves.
- Online demo of 2-source interference.
Videos of example problems
To see the problem statement, click on the link below. To play the video example, click on the underlined words "Video Demonstration" near the top of the page with the problem statement.Pre-Class Entertainment
- The Way You Do The Things You Do - The Temptations
- All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
- Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin
- Domino - Van Morrison
- Superstition - Stevie Wonder