Question

1. What does diffraction mean?

2. When does diffraction occur?

3. When looking at an interference or diffraction pattern, what does an anti-node look like?

4. When looking at an interference or diffraction pattern, what does a node look like?

5. What safety precautions are important to keep in mind while you're using a laser pointer?

Answer 1

1) Diffraction means the bending of a wave around an obstacle or corners of an edge.

2) Diffraction occurs when there is an obstacle or a slit in the path of the wave..

3) In an interference pattern there are bright and dark spots, the bright spots are anti-nodes. The waves constuctively interfere and cause maximum amplitude.

4) and the darkest spots are Nodes. Here the waves interfere destructively and cause zero or the lowest amplitude.

5) Lasers are highly amplified light emitting devices. Light is a form of energy. So this causes heat when laser is pointed at something, So the precautions to be taken while using laser are many. Some of the basic and important are i) Don't point at eyes of people. ii) Don't point at skin or any body parts that might get damaged. iii) Don't point at explosive or flammable substances iv) Don't point at drivers and pilots, because as distance increases laser width spreads and it becomes larger. So far away drivers may get distracted and can't see the road