在物理学中，布拉格定律给出晶格的相干及不相干散射角度。当X射线入射于原子时，跟任何电磁波一样，它们会使电子云移动。电荷的运动把波动以同样的频率再发射出去（会因其他各种效应而变得有点模糊）；这种现象叫瑞利散射（或弹性散射）。散射出来的波可以再相互散射，但这种进级散射在这里是可以忽略的。当中子波与原子核或不成对电子的相干自旋进行相互作用时，会发生一种与上述电磁波相近的过程。这些被重新发射出来的波来相互干涉，可能是相长的，也可能是相消的（重叠的波某程度上会加起来产生更强的波峰，或相互消抵），在探测器或底片上产生绕射图样。而所产生的波干涉图样就是绕射分析的基本部份。这种解析叫布拉格绕射。

In physics, Bragg's Law (or "Wulff-Bragg's condition" in post-Soviet countries, a special case of Laue diffraction) gives the angles for coherent and incoherent scattering from a crystal lattice. When X-rays are incident on an atom, they make the electronic cloud move as does any electromagnetic wave. The movement of these charges re-radiates waves with the same frequency, blurred slightly due to a variety of effects; this phenomenon is known as Rayleigh scattering (or elastic scattering). The scattered waves can themselves be scattered but this secondary scattering is assumed to be negligible.