Waves, Sound and Light: Light Waves
Light Waves: Audio Guided Solution
Problem Set LW7, Question 6:
A barge is passing by Heritage Harbor and sounds its horn. Sounds waves pass through two open doors of a warehouse and produce a sound interference pattern. Persons A and B are located 161 m from the wall of the warehouse (where the doors are) and are located along a line parallel to the wall a distance of 27.4 m apart. Person A hears the sound of the horn loud and clear but the sound is barely discernible for Person B due to destructive interference. The wavelength of the sound waves is 3.64 m. What is the distance between the centers of the doors? Assume Person A is on the central maximum and the Person B is located on the first minimum (nodal line).
Audio Guided Solution
Habits of an Effective Problem Solver
An effective problem solver by habit approaches a physics problem in a manner that reflects a collection of disciplined habits. To be an effective problem-solver...
- ... read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
- ... identify the known and unknown quantities and record them in an organized manne; often times, they can be recorded on the diagram itself. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity (e.g., v = 3.00x108 m/s, λ = 554 nm, f = ???).
- ... use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
- ... identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
- ... perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.
Read About It!
Get more information on the topic of Light Waves at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.