wave

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$How does refraction affect the direction of a wave?$

$What is diffraction?$

Three graphs illustrate types of light wave interference. The top shows constructive interference with two waves combining to form a larger wave. The middle shows partial destructive interference, where the waves partially cancel, resulting in a smaller combined wave. The bottom shows complete destructive interference, where two waves of equal amplitude and opposite phase cancel each other out, resulting in a flat line.

Diagram illustrating the Doppler shift in astronomy, showing how absorption lines in a color spectrum move toward violet for approaching objects and toward red for receding objects, with labeled comparison spectra.

Figure 18: Progression of elliptically polarized wave (see text).

A simple diagram showing two blue waves: the wave on the left has a shorter wavelength with closely spaced peaks, while the wave on the right has a longer wavelength with peaks spaced farther apart.

View an animation explaining how small things like electrons and protons can behave like particles and sometimes like waves

Understand the uncertainty principle as defined by the properties of waves

Understanding Heisenberg's uncertainty principle in subatomic particles

At a Glance

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wave: Media

physics

Videos

$How does refraction affect the direction of a wave?$

How does refraction affect the direction of a wave?

Learn more about refraction.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

$What is diffraction?$

What is diffraction?

Learn about diffraction of sound, electromagnetic radiation, and small moving particles.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

View an animation explaining how small things like electrons and protons can behave like particles and sometimes like waves

View an animation explaining how small things like electrons and protons can behave like particles and sometimes like waves

A lesson on how small things, like electrons and protons, can behave like both a...

Video: © MinutePhysics (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Understand the uncertainty principle as defined by the properties of waves

Understand the uncertainty principle as defined by the properties of waves

Learn about the uncertainty principle as defined by the properties of waves.

Video: © MinutePhysics (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Understanding Heisenberg's uncertainty principle in subatomic particles

Understanding Heisenberg's uncertainty principle in subatomic particles

A video overview of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

See a demonstration explaining the wave-particle duality of an electron

See a demonstration explaining the wave-particle duality of an electron

A demonstration of the wave-particle duality of an electron.

Video: © MinutePhysics (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Images

wave

wave

A wave in water.

© juland/Fotolia

Three graphs illustrate types of light wave interference. The top shows constructive interference with two waves combining to form a larger wave. The middle shows partial destructive interference, where the waves partially cancel, resulting in a smaller combined wave. The bottom shows complete destructive interference, where two waves of equal amplitude and opposite phase cancel each other out, resulting in a flat line.

examples of interference

When two waves of identical wavelength (shown in blue and yellow) are in phase, they...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Diagram illustrating the Doppler shift in astronomy, showing how absorption lines in a color spectrum move toward violet for approaching objects and toward red for receding objects, with labeled comparison spectra.

Doppler shift

Absorption lines in a color spectrum move toward violet for approaching objects and...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Figure 18: Progression of elliptically polarized wave (see text).

Figure 18: Progression of elliptically polarized wave (see text).

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

A simple diagram showing two blue waves: the wave on the left has a shorter wavelength with closely spaced peaks, while the wave on the right has a longer wavelength with peaks spaced farther apart.

wavelength

Waves of different wavelengths.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: