Andrew Norton shows what happens when waves pass through apertures of different sizes.

Exploring wave motion - for iPod/iPhone

Apertures and diffraction

Exploring wave motion

Transcript -- A brief introduction to this album.

Transcript -- Exploring wave motion

Andrew Norton uses a ripple tank to demonstrate some basic features of waves.

Properties of waves

Transcript -- Andrew Norton uses a ripple tank to demonstrate some basic features of waves.

Transcript -- Properties of waves

Andrew Norton demonstrates the effects of changing the driving frequency of the oscillator that's creating the wave.

Oscillation and wave speed

Transcript -- Andrew Norton demonstrates the effects of changing the driving frequency of the oscillator that's creating the wave.

Transcript -- Oscillation and wave speed

Transcript -- Andrew Norton shows what happens when waves pass through apertures of different sizes.

Transcript -- Apertures and diffraction

Andrew Norton uses lasers to show what happens when light passes through a small aperture.

Diffraction of light

Transcript -- Andrew Norton uses lasers to show what happens when light passes through a small aperture.

Transcript -- Diffraction of light

Education

What are waves and what happens to them when they pass through a gap? Do different sorts of waves behave in the same way? Dr Andrew Norton of The Open University uses a ripple tank to demonstrate some of the key features of wave motion, and show how waves spread out when they pass through an aperture. Using a laser and a diffraction grating, he shows that light waves spread out in the same way. The album draws on material originally created to support The Open University course Exploring Science.