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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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D
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Diffraction
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INFOTEXT
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1992-09-02
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622b
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The slight spreading of a light beam into a
pattern of light and dark bands when it
passes through a narrow slit or past the edge
of an obstruction. The resulting patterns are
known as interference phenomena. A
diffraction grating is a device for
separating a wave train such as a beam of
incident light into its component frequencies
(white light results in a spectrum). The
regular spacing of atoms in crystals are used
to diffract X-rays, and in this way the
structure of many substances has been
elucidated, including recently that of
proteins. Sound waves can also be diffracted
by a suitable array of solid objects.