How Does Destructive Interference Occur Between Two Loudspeakers?

In summary, the problem involves two identical loudspeakers located 2.00 m apart being driven by the same amplifier and producing sound waves with a frequency of 784 Hz. The task is to determine the distances from point B where there will be destructive and constructive interference, as well as finding the lowest frequency at which there will be no positions along line BC with destructive interference. By labeling the distances from A to C as dA and from B to C as dB and using the equation λ=v/f, the answers for destructive interference were found to be 0.028, 0.53, 1.3, 2.7, and 9.0 meters for n=1, 3, 5,
  • #1
anubis01
149
1

Homework Statement


Two identical loudspeakers are located at points A and B, 2.00 m apart. The loudspeakers are driven by the same amplifier and produce sound waves with a frequency of 784 Hz. Take the speed of sound in air to be 344 m/s . A small microphone is moved out from point B along a line perpendicular to the line connecting A and B

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/1504/yf1644vy5.jpg

a)At what distances from B will there be destructive interference

b)At what distances from B will there be constructive interference

c)If the frequency is made low enough, there will be no positions along the line BC at which destructive interference occurs. How low must the frequency be for this to be the case?


Homework Equations


λ=v/f


The Attempt at a Solution



λ=v/f=344/784=0.4388 m

okay so first I labelled the distance from A to C as dA and from B-C as dB.

http://e.imagehost.org/0070/Capture.jpg

and to see when its destructive or constructive you would input odd or even numbers respectivley. Now I still have a wrong answer with this method and I suspect its the way I derived dB. Can anyone help me figure out what's wrong. As always any help is appreciated.
 
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  • #2
anubis01 said:
Now I still have a wrong answer with this method and I suspect its the way I derived dB.
Your derivation looks fine to me. What were your actual answers? Perhaps you made an arithmetic mistake somewhere.
 
  • #3
Doc Al said:
Your derivation looks fine to me. What were your actual answers? Perhaps you made an arithmetic mistake somewhere.

okay for destructive interference I use odd numbers for 3 and this needs to be done 5 times with values of 2 sig figs in ascending order.

for n=1 db=9m n=3 db=2.7m n=5 db=1.3 n=7 db=0.53m n=9 db=0.028 then entering in ascending order answer is

0.028,0.53,1.3,2.7,9.0
 
  • #4
I just checked the first couple (n = 1, 3) and your answers look good to me.
 
  • #5
Okay I got the right answer thanks for the help.
 

What is destructive interference?

Destructive interference is a phenomenon that occurs when two waves of equal frequency and amplitude meet and cancel each other out, resulting in a net decrease in amplitude or energy.

How does destructive interference differ from constructive interference?

Unlike constructive interference, where two waves combine to produce a larger amplitude, destructive interference causes a decrease in amplitude or energy due to the waves canceling each other out.

What causes destructive interference?

Destructive interference is caused by the superposition of two waves that are out of phase with each other. This means that the peaks and troughs of one wave align with the troughs and peaks of the other wave, resulting in cancellation.

Can destructive interference be beneficial?

In some cases, destructive interference can be beneficial. For example, it is used in noise-cancellation technology to cancel out unwanted sounds by producing a second wave that is out of phase with the original sound wave and cancels it out.

What are some real-life examples of destructive interference?

Some real-life examples of destructive interference include noise-cancellation headphones, destructive interference of sound waves in concert halls resulting in "dead spots", and destructive interference of ocean waves on a beach resulting in calm areas of water known as "dead water".

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