The principle of superposition states that when two or more waves overlap, the resultant displacement is the sum of the individual displacements.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: What is the principle of superposition in optics?
Solution: The principle of superposition states that when two or more waves overlap, the resultant displacement is the sum of the individual displacements.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand that waves can overlap. This means that two or more waves can exist in the same space at the same time.
Step 2: Recognize that each wave has a displacement, which is how far it moves from its rest position.
Step 3: When these waves overlap, we look at their individual displacements.
Step 4: The principle of superposition tells us to add these individual displacements together.
Step 5: The result of this addition gives us the new displacement of the combined wave.
