Questions tagged [wavelength]
The wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats, and the inverse of the spatial frequency or wavenumber. Determined by considering the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase, such as crests. Use for wavenumber, wavelength, frequency.
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Light waves can't have a wavelength
The wave nature of light comes from Maxwell's equations. More precisely, the two wave equations that come from them:
$$\Delta\vec{E}=\mu\varepsilon \frac{\partial^2\vec{E}}{\partial t^2}\\
\Delta\vec{...
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Minimum frequency for a dipole antenna to work
Does a dipole antenna need a minimum frequency of AC to make the electric field detach and propagate?
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What do the $x$ and $y$ axes mean on a chromaticity diagram?
I understand that the chromaticity diagram is a plot of visible wavelength colors. Since the visible wavelengths form a curve on the graph, what do the $x$ and $y$ axes mean? My thinking could be ...
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Interpretations of wave numbers between open and periodic boundary conditions
I'm curious about the difference in physical interpretation between open and periodic boundary conditions (OBC and PBC) although they are identical in the thermodynamic limit.
For simplicity, let's ...
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What is a laser spectrum?
What is a laser spectrum? How many wavelengths can we see in it, and why?
For a regular laser, the red ones you can buy at the store, is there just one red wavelength in the laser? Or are there ...
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What is the upper limit of size for diffracting an object?
All items in the universe can be said to have a De Broglie wavelength which is significant if that wavelength is comparable to the object's size (I don't have to worry about my wavelength diffracting ...
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How is wavelength defined when it's changing continuously?
Take an observer, who is receiving an electromagnetic wave signal, which is constantly changing. It can be for example from a source of light falling into a black hole, so the observed wavelength is ...
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Emission spectrum of a fluorescent lamp
I had to analyze the emission spectrum of a compact fluorescent lamp and find what elements are present in the lamp, based on the spectrum of spikes in wavelengths. Knowing that in our lamp there was ...
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What would happen if my body de Broglie wavelength is significantly large? [duplicate]
I have a question that what would the world be, if matter de Broglie wavelength was large?
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What's the difference between the different kinds of EM waves?
I am an A-level student.
We have traditionally been taught that different types of EM waves exist only between certain ranges of wavelengths and frequencies.
However, I learned that electromagnetic ...
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Who wrote $c = λ ν$ for the first time and where can I find it?
I have been surfing for days and still I could not find who wrote the equation $c=λν$ for the first time. Neither I found a name for this equation. A lot about Planck's constant and energy related ...
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Is this image on harmonics and overtones wrong?
I saw this image and believed this to be the definition of what the relationship between harmonics and overtones to be in strings, closed pipes and open pipes.
That the $n^{th}$ harmonic = $n-1^{th}$ ...
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Can anyone explain the relationship between the refractive index, the speed, wavelength and angle of a wave?
Can anyone explain the relationship between the refractive index, the speed, wavelength and angle of a wave?
in my book is states that $$n = \frac{v_1}{v_2} = \frac{\sin θ_1}{\sin θ_2} = \frac{λ_1}{...
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In Rayleigh-Jeans radiation law, why are the values of $n$ taken to be non-positive only?
In $k$-space the allowed values for standing waves in a cube of side length $L$
are given by
$$\vec{k} = \left(\frac{\pi}{L}\right) (n_1, n_2, n_3)$$
where the $n_i$ are nonnegative integers. Why are ...
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Spectroscopy on colored flames
When observing colored fire through a spectrometer after adding substances like copper chloride or magnesium sulfate to change its color, what specific spectra are typically observed? How does the ...
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