A beam of light whose waves are all in step with one another is said to be
A) coherent.
B) incoherent.
C) quantized.
D) diffracted.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A coherent beam of light has waves that are all in step with one another, meaning they have a constant phase relationship. This allows for interference effects, such as those seen in lasers, where the waves reinforce each other to create a highly directional beam of light. Incoherent light, on the other hand, has waves that are out of phase with one another, and so cannot produce these types of interference effects. Quantized refers to the idea that certain properties in nature, such as energy, can only exist in discrete, quantized units. Diffracted refers to the bending and spreading out of waves when they encounter an obstacle.

A Beam of Light Whose Waves Are All in Step