WAVE INTERFERENCE Physical Science 20

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO WAVES MEET?

-Usually objects will not share space with other objects. Remember:
Matter takes up space
ex: think of a rock. 1 rock will not share its space with
another rock.
-This does not apply to waves
-One vibration or wave can exist at the same time, in the same
space as another wave.
ex: if we drop two rocks into water at the same time, the
waves produced by each will meet
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN TWO WAVES MEET?
-When two waves meet, they produce Wave Interference
and can form Interference Patterns
ex: Wave effects may be increased, decreased, or
neutralized.
SUPERPOSITION
PRINCIPLE
-When two or
more waves
meet, the
resultant wave is
the sum of the
two waves
 TWO TYPES OF SUPERPOSITION
#1) In Phase or Constructive Interference
When two waves have zero phase difference. The resulting
disturbance will be larger than the individual disturbances that
caused it.
 TWO TYPES OF SUPERPOSITION
#1) Out of Phase or Destructive Interference
When two waves have not zero phase difference. The resulting
disturbance will be smaller than the individual disturbances that
caused it.
 SUPERPOSITION
Whenever two or more waves
pass through each other, the
resulting disturbance at a
given point in the medium may
usually be found by adding
the individual displacements
that each wave would have
caused.
TRY EXAMPLE SHEET
 STEPS
1 First, mark where the two waves overlap.
2 Next, place points on each wave in the region of overlap.
3 Label each point with some value in relation to the centre axis. Here, I go
by the fraction of “square” (from the grid) that a point is. Above the axis is
positive, below is negative.
4 Now, add the corresponding points to give you where the resultant points
will be.
5 You should now have a pattern of new points. Connect them, completing the
resultant displacement wave.
EXAMPLE 1 ANSWER
 EXAMPLE 2 ANSWER

Points used: (0.2+1.6=1.8), (0.4+1=1.4), (0.8+0.8=1.6), (0.4+1=1.4),

(0.2+1.6=1.8)
 STANDING WAVES
If we tie a rope to a wall (somehow) and shake the free end up and down, the
wall is too rigid to shake so the wave is reflected back. This forms a Standing
Wave
Standing Waves – Waves that appear not to move. Parts of the wave, nodes,
appear to be standing still because at these points the waves going one way
are always completely out of phase with the waves going the other way.
Nodes have zero displacement. Antinodes in contrast have maximum
displacement. Antinodes occur halfway between each node.

Challenge question: How could we

increase the number of nodes?
 STANDING WAVES
Nodes are separated by half wavelengths.

Antinodes are separated from each other by half

wavelengths.

Antinodes are separated from nodes by ¼ wavelengths.

STANDING WAVES EXAMPLE
The distance between two successive nodes in a
vibrating spring is 14 cm. The frequency of the
source is 35 Hz. What is the wavelength?
TRY THESE STANDING WAVES PRACTICE
1. What is the wavelength if the distance between two adjacent
nodes is 3.5 cm ?

2. What is the wavelength if the distance between two adjacent

antinodes is 4.3 cm?

3. The distance between two adjacent nodes is 12.5 cm. What is

the wavelength? If the frequency is 375 Hz, what is the speed of
the wave?
 SUPERPOSITION ASSIGNMENT
&
STANDING WAVES ASSIGNMENT