Lawrence Bragg explained crystal diffraction through interference between radiation scattered by parallel lattice planes. Rays from successive planes differ in path length by , so constructive interference gives Bragg's law, . Combining measured angles with this relation allows atomic arrangements to be tested through their predicted diffraction pattern. His 1913 structure analysis helped connect a small set of geometrical crystal models with measurable reflection intensities.[ref]
The Structure of Some Crystals as Indicated by their Diffraction of X-rays by William Lawrence Bragg. Proceedings of the Royal Society A 89, 248–277 (1913), structure inference from diffraction
Institutional biography: www.rigb.org/explore-science/explore/person/william-lawrence-bragg-1890-1971
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Lawrence Bragg was an English physicist and x-ray crystallographer, born on March 31, 1890, and died on July 1, 1971. He is best known for his work in the field of crystallography and for his contributions to the understanding of the structure of crystals.