5.1.4 Interference and Standing Waves Guitar Strings and Crumbling Bridges
Introduction and Terms INTERFERENCE – the result of two waves meeting in a medium. CONSTRUCTIVE – results in greater amplitude. DESTRUCTIVE – results in lower amplitude. “In phase” interferes CONSTRUCTIVELY “180° out of phase” interferes DESTRUCTIVELY
Example What is the direction of motion in the medium? Both waves reach maximum amplitude at that point!
Interference of Two Point Sources of Waves When viewed from above, a wave source makes circular patterns TWO TROUGHS CONSTRUCTIVE crest (wave front) trough CRESTS AND TROUGH DESTRUCTIVE TWO CRESTS CONSTRUCTIVE
Pyro Board Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2awbKQ2DLRE
Phenomenon #3 – Standing Waves When a wave encounters a fixed boundary it REFLECTS. The reflected wave comes back through the original wave and they INTERFERE. The result is a STANDING WAVE. NODES : always 180° out of phase (destructive interference) - NO MOTION. ANTINODES : alternate between in-phase and 180° out of phase –MAX MOTION. Standing Waves
Practice FOUR
Guitar strings video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O14YFKqfvA
Practice The grid below represents a 10 meter long string. Sketch the standing wave that this string would produce if it were to have SIX nodes. Draw a circle around each ANTINODE on the string. Determine the wavelength of this standing wave. _________________m Assuming that this wave moves at 2.0 meters per second, calculate its frequency and period. 4