Waves from a laser The light from a laser is coherent. Wavefronts extend all the way across the beam.

The corresponding light rays can be exactly parallel.

Rays from a laser


Waves from a light bulb The light from an incandescent bulb is incoherent. Each atom acts independently, creating a jumble of wavefronts.
Rays from a light bulb The corresponding light rays emanate from every part of the bulb and cross each other.

Examples - What this is an example of