Destructive interference
What Destructive interference means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA, OCR.
Definitions of Destructive interference
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Reference: OCR
Gives minimum amplitude when the waves arrive in antiphase, with phase difference an odd number of π and path difference an odd number of half-wavelengths.
Where waves arrive in antiphase, as when a crest meets a trough, and cancel to give a dark fringe.
Occurs where path differences are odd numbers of half-wavelengths, producing dark fringes.
Topics that use Destructive interference
- Interference (AQA A-Level)
- Significance of Young’s double slits experiment (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
- Superposition (OCR A-Level)
Related terms
- Constructive interference
- Coherence
- Constructive superposition
- Destructive superposition
- Grating spacing
- Interference
- Path difference
- Coherent monochromatic sources
Using Destructive interference in the exam
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