I've read here that microwaves are blocked by the holes in a microwave window because the holes on the door are small enough to prevent the microwaves from passing through. However, if wavelength is only the distance between successive crests of a wave, why should that decide what a certain wave can fit through? Why is amplitude not the deciding factor and is there a way to explain this visually?
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It has to do with boundary conditions (you can use simple optics and things like the single- and double-slit concepts) and interference, which only "allow" certain wavelengths to pass through. – honeste_vivere Jan 01 '17 at 17:17
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Does this answer your question? If photons move linearly, what's actually stopping them from passing through a microwave oven mesh? – dark knight Sep 15 '21 at 18:58
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See https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/149607/what-is-the-relationship-between-faraday-cage-mesh-size-and-attenuation-of-cell – ProfRob Dec 21 '21 at 11:35