Newbie Questions About Light & Resonance - Get Answers Here!

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Busby
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the interaction of light with prisms and the concept of resonance as experienced in everyday situations. Participants explore the implications of light splitting into multiple wavelengths and the relationship between frequency and wavelength, as well as the phenomenon of resonance related to sound perception.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions how light can consist of multiple wavelengths if the speed of light in a medium is constant, suggesting a confusion about the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
  • Another participant asserts that the presence of multiple wavelengths implies multiple frequencies, but this raises further questions about the relationship between frequency and wavelength.
  • There is a discussion about whether frequency determines wavelength or vice versa, with one participant noting that while the product of frequency and wavelength equals the speed of light, there seems to be confusion about the uniqueness of wavelength for a given frequency.
  • One participant confirms that each wavelength corresponds to a frequency, indicating that the existence of many wavelengths naturally leads to many frequencies.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express uncertainty regarding the relationship between frequency and wavelength, with some agreeing that multiple wavelengths correspond to multiple frequencies, while others seek clarification on how these concepts interrelate. The discussion remains unresolved with competing views on the nature of this relationship.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully resolved the implications of the speed of light equation in relation to multiple wavelengths and frequencies, nor have they clarified the nuances of resonance as experienced in sound perception.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring foundational concepts in optics and acoustics, particularly those new to the topics of light behavior and resonance.

Bob Busby
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Excuse my noobness but I can't find answers to these from searching.

When lights interacts with a prism it splits off into multiple wavelengths. Doesn't that imply that the incoming light consists of multiple wavelengths? My question is, since the speed of light in a given medium is constant (c = frequency * wavelength) how can there many different frequencies?

Secondly, and this is a little vague, I noticed when I was in my bathroom and was running the fan, whenever I sang a certain note it was like I could hear the fan louder (as if my head were vibrating). I think this has to do with something called resonance but I don't know that topic very well. What is happening?

If you don't want to answer my questions at least direct to somewhere that I can read about them. Thanks!
 
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Bob Busby said:
When lights interacts with a prism it splits off into multiple wavelengths. Doesn't that imply that the incoming light consists of multiple wavelengths? My question is, since the speed of light in a given medium is constant (c = frequency * wavelength) how can there many different frequencies?

Because there are many different wavelengths.
 
But doesn't frequency determine wavelength or vice versa? I understand how there are infinite ways to make the product of the two = c but isn't there only one wavelength associated with one frequency?
 
Yes, each wavelength is associated with a frequency. However, since there are many wavelengths, there are many frequencies.
 

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