The phase difference is the difference in the phase angle of the two waves. Path difference is the difference in the path traversed by the two waves. The relation between phase difference and path difference is direct. They are directly proportional to each other.
Phase Difference And Path Difference
For any two waves with the same frequency, Phase Difference and Path Difference are related as-
| (Delta x=frac{lambda }{2pi }Delta phi) |
Where,
- Δx is the path difference between the two waves.
- ΔΦ is the phase difference between two waves.
Phase Difference And Path Difference Equation
The difference in the phase angle and difference in path length relation can be written in various ways-
| Formula | Unit | |
| The relation between phase difference and path difference | (frac{Delta x}{lambda }=frac{Delta phi}{2pi }) | No units |
| Phase Difference | (Delta phi=frac{2piDelta x}{lambda }) | Radian or degree |
| Path Difference | (Delta x=frac{lambda }{2pi }Delta phi) | meter |
Hope you understood the relation and conversion of Phase Difference and Path Difference of the wave.
Physics Related Topics:
| Single slit diffraction |
| Polarisation by scattering |
| Propogation Constant |
| Young’s double slit experiment derivation |