Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Two waves of the same frequency meet at a point. One has an amplitude of and the other . Their phase difference is .
Superposition: where waves meet, their displacements add, . Two waves of amplitudes and with a phase difference give ; for equal amplitudes, . A path difference is a phase difference . Intensity .
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.
(a) , so and . The two waves add like two sides of a right angle.
(b) In phase, . Out of phase, . So
Answer: and .
Check. lies between and , as it must.
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