Two speakers send out the same note, starting together, with a wavelength of 0.5 m…

Contributed by StemPy Lab

Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.

Two speakers send out the same note, starting together, with a wavelength of $0.5\ \text{m}$ . At point P the path difference is $1.75\ \text{m}$ ; at point Q it is $2.0\ \text{m}$ . Is each point loud or quiet?

Need a reminder? The key ideaShow

$v = f\lambda$ : the medium sets the speed, the source sets the frequency. On a string, $v = \sqrt{\dfrac{T}{\mu}}$ . Two waves in step: a path difference of whole wavelengths is loud, of odd half wavelengths is quiet. Beats: $|f_1 - f_2|$ each second.

The worked solution

Have you tried it?

Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.

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