Optical Interference

Optical interference occurs when light waves overlap and interact, either strengthening or weakening each other. When two light waves align crest to crest, they amplify, creating brighter areas called bright fringes. When a crest aligns with a trough, they cancel out, producing darker regions called dark fringes. This pattern depends on the difference in distance traveled by the light waves and their wavelengths. Interference is behind phenomena like the colorful patterns in soap bubbles or oil slicks, and it demonstrates the wave nature of light, illustrating how waves can combine constructively or destructively to produce observable effects.