How to differentiate between refraction and diffraction of waves?

[threy]

I seem to not be able to differentiate between the two of these phenomenons. Please give me some example in daily life to show the difference between them.

 

[olivermsun]

The way I think about it is: refraction is a property of rays. Insofar as a wave (whether it be light, sound, water, etc.) can be approximated by ray propagation, it can be refracted as it passes across an interface or through an area of changing speed (see: Snell's[/PLAIN] law).

Diffraction is a property of waves. When a wave encounters an object which has size comparable to its wavelength, then you no longer use the ray approximation to model the interaction. For example, when a "ray" of light encounters a narrow slit, you find out that the light is actually a field of waves. Only some of the waves "exit" from the other side of the slit, causing various diffraction effects such as spreading of the wave.

 

[ZapperZ]

I seem to not be able to differentiate between the two of these phenomenons. Please give me some example in daily life to show the difference between them.

Let's start from the beginning. Do you know what "refraction" and "diffraction" are? What are they, in your own words?

Without knowing what you already know, it is difficult to describe to you the differences between the two.

Zz.

 

[jtbell]

Google searches on those two words should lead you quickly to the Wikipedia and Hyperphysics pages about them. If you could tell us what you specifically find to be confusing about them, it would help us give useful answers.

 

[sardar]

Refraction and diffraction are both phenomena that occur when waves encounter an obstacle or a change in medium. However, they are distinct processes with different characteristics.

Refraction is the bending of waves as they pass through a medium with varying density. This can be seen in daily life when light passes through a glass prism, causing the colors of the rainbow to separate. This is due to the different densities of the glass causing the light waves to bend at different angles. Another example is when a straw appears to be bent when placed in a glass of water. This is because the light waves from the straw are refracted as they pass through the water.

On the other hand, diffraction is the spreading out of waves as they encounter an obstacle or a small opening. This can be observed when sound waves pass through a doorway or when light passes through a narrow slit. The waves are diffracted, causing them to spread out and create a pattern of interference. This is also why we can hear someone talking even if they are not directly in front of us, as the sound waves diffract around objects.

In summary, the key difference between refraction and diffraction is that refraction involves the bending of waves as they pass through a medium with varying density, while diffraction involves the spreading out of waves as they encounter an obstacle or a small opening. These phenomena can be observed in daily life and understanding the differences between them is important in many scientific fields, such as optics and acoustics.