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Wave Interference - Questions 10 Help

When two or more waves meet up while traveling through the same medium, they undergo interference. The amount that the medium is displaced from its usual resting position is dependent upon the contribution of each individual wave that is interfering.

There are two similar versions of this question. Here is one of the versions:
 

Version 1:

Here's two waves undergoing interference. You have to determine the shape of the resultant wave (or wave sum). To begin, drag each grey dot downward to the height the resultant would have for that horizontal location along the medium.

In this question, you have to determine the resultant wave - that is, the result of the interference of the two individual waves. To do so, you will have to determine the displacement of the medium at each of nine locations. Once you determine the displacement, drag the grey dot (above the diagram) to the location represented by that displacement. Once done successfully, the dot will snap into place. Here's how to determine the displacements:

When two waves travel along the same medium, each wave exerts its own individual effect upon the medium. That is to say that each waves either pulls upward ("positive" direction) or pulls downward ("negative" direction) upon the medium by a given amount. But the medium can have only one response. It can't show both waves; it must show the combined effect of both waves. And this combined effect is easily determined by simply adding the two individual effects. This is known as the Principle of Superposition.

To determine the effect at each location, simply add the displacement of both waves at that location. That is, measure (or count) upward (or downward) to the red wave to determine the displacement of the medium that would result from the red wave acting alone. Repeat this measurement (or count) for the blue wave. Add the two numbers together and the result is the combined displacement at that location for the two waves acting together. Note that one or both of the numbers that you are adding together could be negative (for downward).

Try this link to The Physics Classroom Tutorial for more help with understanding wave interference:

Interference of Waves

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