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Huygens principle of secondary wavelets may be used to

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Huygens' Principle is a fundamental concept in wave optics that provides a method for predicting the behaviour of wavefronts. 

Updated On: Sep 14, 2024
  • find the velocity of light in vacuum
  • explain the particle behaviour of light
  • find the new position of a wavefront
  • explain photoelectric effect
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The Correct Option is C

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Huygens' principle states that every point on a wavefront may be considered a source of secondary waves. The word interference is used to describe the superposition of two waves, whereas diffraction is interference produced by several waves. By this principle, we can find the exact position of the next ripple/wavefront that is to be produced.

Therefore, Option C) is the correct answer.

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The Correct Answer is (C)

Real Life Applications

The real-life applications of Huygens' principle of secondary wavelets include: 
1) Huygens' principle can be used to explain diffraction, which is the bending of light around obstacles. When light waves encounter an obstacle, they are scattered in all directions. Huygens' principle can be used to show that this scattering is caused by the wavelets emitted by each point on the wavefront. 
2) It is also used to explain interference, which is the superposition of two or more waves. When two waves meet, they can either add together to produce a larger wave or cancel each other out. Huygens' principle can be used to show how this happens by considering the wavelets emitted by each point on the two wavefronts. 
3) The principle can also be used to explain the propagation of waves, which is the way that waves travel through space. Huygens' principle shows that waves can be considered as a collection of wavelets, and that these wavelets propagate in all directions.

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Question can also be asked as

1. What are the applications of Huygens principle? 
2. How is Huygens principle used to explain the propagation of light? 
3. What is the difference between Huygens principle and wavefront theory?

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The Correct Answer is (C)

Huygens' Principle is a fundamental concept in wave optics that provides a method for predicting the behaviour of wavefronts. By considering each point on a wavefront as a source of secondary wavelets, it enables us to determine the new position of the wavefront as it propagates through a medium. 

Understanding Huygens' Principle

Huygens' Principle states that every point on a wavefront acts as a source of secondary wavelets that propagate in all directions. These secondary wavelets combine to form a new wavefront, known as the advancing wavefront.

  • At each point on a wavefront, spherical wavelets are emitted in all directions.
  • These wavelets have the same frequency and wavelength as the original wave.
  • The secondary wavelets combine through the principle of superposition.
  • By adding the amplitudes of these wavelets at different points, we can determine the resulting wavefront at a later time.
  • Huygens' Principle allows us to find the new position of the wavefront by considering the envelope of the secondary wavelets.
  • The envelope represents the new shape of the wavefront as it moves forward in space.

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Application in Finding the New Position of Wavefronts

Huygens' Principle can be applied in various scenarios to determine the new position of wavefronts. 

  • When a wavefront strikes a reflecting surface, each point on the wavefront acts as a source of secondary wavelets.
  • When a wavefront encounters a boundary between two different media, Huygens' Principle allows us to predict the bending of the wavefront as it undergoes refraction.
  • Huygens' Principle helps in understanding the phenomenon of diffraction, where a wave encounters an obstacle or a slit.

Huygens' Principle provides a valuable tool for predicting the new position of wavefronts as they propagate through a medium. 

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Concepts Used:

Wave Optics

  • Wave optics are also known as Physical optics which deal with the study of various phenomena such as polarization, interference, diffraction, and other occurrences where ray approximation of geometric optics cannot be done. Thus, the section of optics that deals with the behavior of light and its wave characteristics is known to be wave optics.
  • In wave optics, the approximation is carried out by utilizing ray optics for the estimation of the field on a surface. Further, it includes integrating a ray-estimated field over a mirror, lens, or aperture for the calculation of the transmitted or scattered field.
  • Wave optics stands as a witness to a famous standoff between two great scientific communities who devoted their lives to understanding the nature of light. Overall, one supports the particle nature of light; the other supports the wave nature.
  • Sir Isaac Newton stood as a pre-eminent figure that supported the voice of particle nature of light, he proposed a corpuscular theory which states that “light consists of extremely light and tiny particles, called corpuscles which travel with very high speeds from the source of light to create a sensation of vision by reflecting on the retina of the eye”.