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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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0 answers
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Derivation of optical resolution

I'm trying to prove optical resolution formula from scratch and im having a hard time doing it. I dont know much about optics (im studying cosmology) and i need a detailed proof of optical resolution ...
Arian Esmaieli's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
96 views

How does a string thickness affect the frequency of its harmonics?

The harmonics of a theoretically infinitely small diameter string are pure integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. However, a real string has a thickness, and when vibrating in a harmonic, the ...
Don Rechtman's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
71 views

Does our sense of color depend on frequency of source or the wavelength of light?

I was taught that the colors we see are results of the corresponding wavelength, but each wavelength also has a distinct frequency since speed of light is fixed for a specific medium (same goes for ...
Ashutosh's user avatar
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8 votes
4 answers
3k views

Do colours which are not visible to human eyes exist?

Are there any colours that our human eye cannot comprehend but other animals can see? The ability to see colours is the property of our eyes. For example an average dog would see less colours than us. ...
Aleph's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
682 views

Why can't we use polychromatic light for making laser?

As far as I have read in my textbooks, we can only use monochromatic light for making a laser. Why can't we use polychromatic one? What if we try to make a laser out of a polychromatic light?
Syeda Hasnain's user avatar
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2 answers
99 views

What is the colour of an atom? [closed]

We know that when an electron jumps from shell to shell it produces light waves which produce the sensation of vision to our eyes. But can anything be said about the colour of an atom in particular. ...
Sillyasker's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
72 views

Wavelengths of light outside our solar system

The question might have been asked before. Our Sun's rays decompose into 7 elementary colors by using a prism or spectrometry. Can the the colors (their number and wave length in the spectrum ) be ...
Narasimham's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
541 views

The Uncertainty in momentum and the de Broglie wavelength

I'd like to pose a straightforward question by providing a brief example to determine whether my current approach is correct or incorrect. Imagine I have an electron confined within a box measuring $1\...
Anky Physics's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
42 views

Natural Harmonics on a String

Consider the Dirichlet boundary value problem of a guitar string stretched between two fixed points which is made to oscillate by pinching and releasing the string. It can be shown in quite ...
Tom's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
44 views

de broglie thesis

Quoting Thesis (1924) "Propagation is, therefore, analogous to a liquid wave in a channel closed on itself but of variable depth." What is meaning of depth here? edit as new image
Sage's user avatar
  • 19
0 votes
1 answer
142 views

What is the smallest possible wavelength? [duplicate]

I was thinking about this the other day after a quantum mechanics lecture (unrelated to the lecture I was taking) and pondered "Is there a minimum wavelength for a photon?", through ...
Groving's user avatar
  • 13
0 votes
2 answers
70 views

Why do parabolic antennas need to be the same width as their wavelength?

I am reading the wikipedia page for parabolic antennas, and have a question about the below quote: In order to achieve narrow beamwidths, the parabolic reflector must be much larger than the ...
Andrew Baker's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
187 views

Can something become hot enough that it stops glowing?

So I understand that matter emits EM waves when hot. And that the higher the temperature, the shorter the wavelength, so cooler flames start off orange and the hotter flames reach light blue and white....
Ethan's user avatar
  • 131
1 vote
1 answer
84 views

Graphical depiction of one photon

If a photon has a wavelength and a frequency and we depict a graph with multiple hills and valleys like done in basically every explanation regarding photons and their wave/particle behavior, like in ...
Lucas Szikszai's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
26 views

Water vapor: refractive index and extinction coefficient ($n$ and $k$)

Looking for optical properties of water vapor (index of refraction and extinction coefficient) as a function of wavelength.
Iris's user avatar
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