CONTENT : INTERFERENCE OF WAVES

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS (30 MINUTES)

The principle of superposition

When two or more waves meet at the same point, the
displacement of resulting wave is equal to the sum of
the displacement of the individual waves.

1. Inteference of waves is superposition effects produce by two waves from two

coherent point sources.( same frequency, same phase).
2. These two different sources producing nodal lines (consisting of all the points
with destructive interference) and anti nodal lines(consisting of all the points
with constructive interference).
(i) Constructive interference (ii) Destructive interference

The fenomena that two identical The cancellation of a wave

waves which are in phase ,come by another when two identical
together at a point to form a bigger waves which are out of phase
wave. come together .

2a
a a a + a =
+ = Zero
Maximum crest Displacement

3.Determination Of Wavelength Using Interference Pattern.

screen
Anti nodal line
Wave length of wave,
ax
Nodal line λ=
D
Where,
Anti nodal line a = separation between two sources
(S1 and S2) of similar wave
x
x x Nodal line x = separation between two
consecutive antinodal lines or
Anti nodal line nodal lines
D= distance from the source to the
Trough wavefront
position where x is measured.
Peak wavefront

D
4.

Interference
pattern of

Water waves light waves sound waves

a) Constructive a) Constructive
interference occurs interfence occurs
at the antinode at the antinode
point. point.
Loud sound heard. Bright fringes
seen
b) Destructive b) Destructive
interference occurs interference
at the node point. occurs at the
Soft sound heard. node point.
Dark fringes
seen.

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ACTIVITIES (50 minutes)

1. If two waves meet each other and are in phase, then they interfere to give a
__________ amplitude. This is known as ______________.

2. If two waves meet each other and are completely out in phase the they
interfere to give a _____________ amplitude. This is known as
____________.

3. State the principle of superposition in the context of interference of two similar

waves.

________________________________________________________________

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4. In each wave superposition diagram below, draw the resultant displacement:

(a)
A + A =

(b) A + A =

(c)
A + A =

5. Describe the difference between constructive and destructive interference.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

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6. Name the line joining all the points where constructive interference takes
place.
Similarly, name the line joining all the points where destructive interference
takes place.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

7. State the condition for the interference pattern of a wave to be observed.

________________________________________________________________

8. When the light emitted by two headlamps of a car overlaps, will interference be
observed? Explain your answer.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

9. Two loudspeakers are connected to the same signal generator so that the
loudspeakers can act as two sources of similar sound waves. What would you
hear if you were to walk along in front of these two speakers?

________________________________________________________________

10. In an experiment, the distance between two sources of vibration is 2.0 cm

and the distance between the source of vibration and a screen is 40.0 cm. If
the distance between two adjacent lines of antinodes is 8.0 cm, calculate the
wavelength of waves produced by the sources of vibration.

Question 12 to 14 are based on the diagram above

The diagram shows a double slit and a screen. C is the central fringe, D is the first
dark fringe and B is the first bright fringe

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12. State the points that are
(a)in phase :____________________________________________________
(b)completely out of phase: ________________________________________

13.If λ is the wavelength , calculate the difference between

(a) S1C and S2C:________________________________________________

(b)S1D and S2D :________________________________________________
(c)S1B and S2B :________________________________________________

14.Describe the effect of

(a)increasing the distance from the slits to C :_________________________

(b)increasing the distance S1S2: ____________________________________
(c)covering up one of the slits:______________________________________

15.If the slits are 0.4 m apart with the screen 2 m away, and four fringes cover a
width of 1.2 cm, find the wavelength.

ASSESMENT (40 MINUTES)

1. Two wave impulses, one with amplitude a and another with amplitude –a travel
along a string opposite directions and eventually meet at point O. What is the
resultant displacement of the two wave impulses at point O?

A. -2a
B. 0
C. a
D. 2a

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2. The diagram shows the fringe pattern produced from Young’s double slit
experiment using the monochromatic red light source.

What happens to the fringes if monochromatic yellow light source is used?

A. the bright fringes are wider than the dark fringes

B. the dark fringes are wider than the bright fringes
C. the distance between consecutive fringes decrease
D. the distance between consecutive fringes increase

3.The diagram shows an interference pattern of two coherent water waves of

sources, P and Q.
Which of the positions A, B, C or D, does destructive interference occur?

4. In Young’s double slit experiment, red fringes are formed on the screen when
a red light red source is used.
What will be observed if the red light source is replaced by a blue light source?

A. number of fringes decreases

B. brightness of fringes increases
C. distance between fringes decreases

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5 .The following figure shows pattern of water waves produced when two
vibrating dipper S1 and S2 are used as the sources to produce similar waves.
Dippers S1 and S2 are both connected to a straight piece of wood which is
moved by a motor.

Label constructive interference, destructive interference, nodal line and antinodal

line.

6.Figure (a) shows the arrangement of apparatus in Young’s double slit

experiment. A white light source is passed through a coloured filter to produce
a monochromatic light. Figure (b) shows the pattern of the fringe formed on the
screen when a red filter is used.
The experiment is repeated by using a blue filter and the fringes formed are
shown in Figure (c).

Figure (a)

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(a)What is meant by a monochromatic light?

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(b)Using the pattern of the fringes in Figure (a) and (b), state two observations
about the distances between consecutive fringes for the red light and blue
light.

________________________________________________________________

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(c) Compare the wavelengths of red light to blue light.

________________________________________________________________

(d)Compare the wavelengths of red light and blue light with the distances
between consecutive fringes in (b)

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(e)Name the wave phenomenon which forms the pattern of the fringes in
Figure(a) and (b).

________________________________________________________________

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7.Two similar loudspeakers are placed 0.8m apart. They emit a coherent sound
wave. A girl walks slowly parallel to the two loudspeakers at a distance 3.2 m
in front of the loudspeakers. She hears a loud sound and weak sound
alternately. Figure 2.1 shows the positions of the loud and weak sounds

(a)What is meant by a coherent wave?

________________________________________________________________

(b)The distance between three positions of the loud sound is 4.5 m, as shown in
Figure 2.1.Calculate the wavelength of the sound wave.

(c)The loud sound is heard due to the constructive interference of the sound
waves. State how the constructive interference occurs.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

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ANSWERS OF ACTIVITIES

1. bigger,constructive interference
2. zero, destructive interference
3.When two waves pass a point at the same time, the resultant displacement of
the wave at that point is the sum of the displacements of the individual waves

4.(a) (b) (c)

2A - 2A

5.The difference is the amplitude of the resultant wave. Constructive interference

produces bigger wave and destructive interference produces no waves
6. antinodal line, nodal line
7. Two sources of similar waves are placed near each other
8.No.Each car head lamp is made up of many light sources
9.Alternate of loud and soft sound can be heard
10. 4 x 10 -3 m

12.(a)C and B
(b)D
13.(a) 0
(b) 1/2 λ
(c) λ
13. (a)the distance between the fringes will increase
(b)the distance between the fringes will decrease
14. 6 x 10 -7 m

ANSWERS OF ASSESMENT

1.B
2.C
3.D
4.C
5..

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6(a)Monochromatic light is a light of one colour or one wavelength source.
(b)i. the distance between consecutive fringes of the same light source
are the same
ii. the distance between consecutive fringes of the red light are greater
than the blue light
(c) the wavelength of the red light is greater than the blue light
(d) the greater the wavelength, the greater the distance between
consecutive fringes.
(e)interference
7.(a)coherent wave is defined as waves with the same wavelength and frequency
ax 4.5
(b)λ= x=
D 2
0.8(2.25)
= = 2.25 m
3.3

= 0.55 m

(c)crest meets crest/trough meets trough

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