Two in-phase speakers 2.0 m apart in a plane are emitting 1800 Hz sound waves into a room where the speed of sound is 340 m/s. Is the point 4.0 m in front of one of the speakers, perpendicular to the plane of the speakers, a point of maximum constructive interference, maximum destructive interference, or something in between?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The interference is maximum destructive for the waves coming from the point 4.0 m in front of one of the speakers.

Step by step solution

01

Given data

Frequency of the sound wave that is emitting from the speaker is, f=1800Hz

The speed of sound into the room is,v=340m/s

Distance between the speakers, d=2.0m

The distance of the point of observation from one of the speaker is,r1=4.0m

02

Determination of the type of interference

Consider the two loudspeaker is arranged as given in the figure:

According to the geometry of the set up mentioned above, the distance of observing point from the second speaker, isr2=r12+d2r2=4m2+2m2r2=20mr2=4.472m

Now, the phase difference between the two speakers is ϕ=0

Path difference between the two sources to reach at the observation point is,

r=r2-r1r=4.472-4mr=0.472m

The wavelength of the sound wave is,

λ=vfλ=343m/s1800Hzλ=0.1889m

Therefore, the phase difference for the waves coming from the point 4.0 m in front of one of the speakers is,

ϕ=2πrλ+ϕϕ=2π×0.472m0.1889m+0ϕ=2π×2.5radϕ=5πradϕ=52×2πrad

As the phase difference of the waves at the point mentioned above is an odd multiple 2πrad. So, the interference is perfect destructive.

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