Can Multiple Waves Interfere in a Single Medium?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mad_max
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Waves
AI Thread Summary
Multiple waves can indeed interfere in a single medium, as evidenced by phenomena such as water waves created by two drops. This interference can lead to complex interactions and various optical effects resulting from many electromagnetic waves interacting simultaneously. The Feynman Lectures on Physics provide a detailed exploration of wave interference from multiple sources. Understanding these interactions is crucial for grasping the principles of wave behavior in different mediums. Overall, the discussion confirms that wave interference is not limited to just two waves.
mad_max
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
can more than two waves interfere in a given medium?

i'm guessing yes. b/c 2 drops in water cause a lot of waves and they can interfere each other, maybe :rolleyes:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Of course, you can get all kinds of wild interactions. A lot of the optical effects we see are due to interferance between many electromagnetic waves going in every which direction. Look at The Feynman Lectures on Physics Chapters 29 and 30 for a good discussion on the interferance of waves from multiple sources.
 
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'
Starting with the mass considerations #m(t)# is mass of water #M_{c}# mass of container and #M(t)# mass of total system $$M(t) = M_{C} + m(t)$$ $$\Rightarrow \frac{dM(t)}{dt} = \frac{dm(t)}{dt}$$ $$P_i = Mv + u \, dm$$ $$P_f = (M + dm)(v + dv)$$ $$\Delta P = M \, dv + (v - u) \, dm$$ $$F = \frac{dP}{dt} = M \frac{dv}{dt} + (v - u) \frac{dm}{dt}$$ $$F = u \frac{dm}{dt} = \rho A u^2$$ from conservation of momentum , the cannon recoils with the same force which it applies. $$\quad \frac{dm}{dt}...
Back
Top