Bragg's law

noun

, Physics.

1. the law that the intensity of a crystal reflection of an x-ray is a function of the angle Braggangle that is the complement of the angle of incidence of the x-ray.

Bragg's law

noun

1. the principle that when a beam of X-rays of wavelength λ enters a crystal, the maximum intensity of the reflected ray occurs when sin θ = n λ/2 d , where θ is the complement of the angle of incidence, n is a whole number, and d is the distance between layers of atoms

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bragg's law¹

First recorded in 1910–15; named after Sir W. H. and Sir W. L. Bragg

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bragg's law¹

C20: named after William and Lawrence Bragg

Example Sentences

It became known as Bragg’s law, but in the 21st century this reliable age-old adage broke down.

From The Guardian

I was even ignorant of Bragg’s Law, the most basic of all crystallographic ideas.

From Literature

Besides, for too long he had lived under the shadow of his famous father, with most people falsely thinking that his father, not he, was responsible for the sharp insight behind Bragg’s Law.

From Literature

His equation to translate the diffraction into an image, Bragg’s Law, is still in use today.

From Time

Bragg’s formulation, now known as Bragg’s Law, successfully identified these positions.

From Scientific American