	Site Map \| FAQ in Daily Almanac for Feb 16, 2012
Skip Navigation Home Black History Month Atlas Encyclopedia Dictionary Thesaurus Features Quizzes Timelines Countries

| Share

Dictionary

dif•frac•tion

Pronunciation: (di-frak'shun), [key]
—n. Physics.
1. the phenomenon exhibited by wave fronts that, passing the edge of an opaque body, are modulated, thereby causing a redistribution of energy within the front: it is detectable in light waves by the presence of a pattern of closely spaced dark and light bands (diffrac'tion pat"tern) at the edge of a shadow.
2. the bending of waves, esp. sound and light waves, around obstacles in their path.

diffract

diffraction grating

See also:

diffraction (Thesaurus)
diffraction (Encyclopedia)

Dictionary

dif•frac•tion

Related Content