Light and Optics The Nature of Light: Particle and wave theories by Nathaniel Page Stites, M.A./M.S. Reading Quiz Teach with this "Refraction" of light occurs when light bounces off a surface. light bends around corners or obstacles. light changes direction due to a change in speed. light waves add together to make a new wave with larger amplitude. "Diffraction" of light occurs when light bounces off a surface. light bends around corners or obstacles. light changes intensity when passing from one material into another. light waves add together to make a wave with larger amplitude. For diffraction of a wave to occur, the wave must be a sound wave. the wave must be traveling from a less dense to a denser material. the wave must be traveling slower than the speed of light in a vacuum. the wave must encounter an obstacle that is comparable in size to the wavelength of the wave. "Constructive" and "destructive" interference refer to the phenomenon of waves adding together or canceling each other out when they are superimposed. waves traveling different distances. waves bending around obstacles. waves changing direction when moving from one material to another. Young found that bright and dark spots appeared on the screen because of holes in a piece of paper. bright and dark lights shining on the screen. constructive and destructive interference. spectral lines. Constructive interference occurs when the difference in path lengths traveled by two light rays is an integer multiple of the half-wavelength of the light. zero or an integer multiple of the wavelength of the light. anything other than zero. exactly zero. Destructive interference occurs when the difference in path lengths traveled by two light rays is integer multiple of the half-wavelength of the light. zero or an integer multiple of the wavelength of the light. anything other than zero. exactly zero. Score Quiz