Find maxima angle of two interfering waves

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the interference of two waves, drawing parallels to the double slit experiment. Participants are examining the geometric setup and the implications of angle definitions in the context of wave interference.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are questioning the definitions of angles in the context of wave interference, particularly why cosine is used instead of sine. There are inquiries about the placement of sources and the screen in relation to these angles.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided clarifications regarding the angle definitions and their implications for the problem. There is an acknowledgment of differing conventions in angle measurement, and the discussion is exploring these interpretations without reaching a consensus.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a diagram that may not be fully described in the text, and the original question's wording appears to influence the interpretation of angles. The discussion also hints at the presence of a circular interference fringe pattern, which may require further exploration.

joelkato1605
Messages
19
Reaction score
2
Homework Statement
See attached file. (m=0,2,4,6,...)
Relevant Equations
dsin(theta)=m(lambda)
I drew a diagram in the attached files as well, but the the scenario seems to be the same as the double slit experiment, but I don't understand why the answer contains cos instead of sin.
 

Attachments

  • Capture.PNG
    Capture.PNG
    26.4 KB · Views: 165
  • Capture.PNG
    Capture.PNG
    74.6 KB · Views: 169
  • Capture2.PNG
    Capture2.PNG
    52.1 KB · Views: 132
Physics news on Phys.org
Where are the sources in you sketches ?
And the line joining the sources ?
If the screen is normal to the line joining the sources, where is the screen ?
 
joelkato1605 said:
... I don't understand why the answer contains cos instead of sin.
Read the original question carefully. You should see that θ is the angle with respect to the line joining the sources, so the angle you've marked as θ is in fact 90º – θ.

(It's more conventional to define θ in the way you interpreted it, but they've done it differently in this question.)
 
Steve4Physics said:
Read the original question carefully. You should see that θ is the angle with respect to the line joining the sources, so the angle you've marked as θ is in fact 90º – θ.

(It's more conventional to define θ in the way you interpreted it, but they've done it differently in this question.)
Oh! Thanks so much I completely missed that.
 
And did you find a
circular interference fringe pattern
on this screen ? Can you make that explicit ?
 

Similar threads

Width of principle maxima in n slit diffraction
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Derivation of single slit diffraction formula
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Interference pattern of a fan of plane waves
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Finding Maximum Number of Interference Maxima?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
11K
A moving boat with a flag on its mast
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
1K
Finding the Distance Between Sound and Wave Maxima at a Train Station
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Find Width of Slit for Diffraction Maxima
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Finding the angular spread of a diffraction minima?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Determine the angles between diffraction maxima
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
6K
How Does Loudspeaker Movement Affect the Phase of Reflected Waves?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K