Why Does Wave Interference Alter Intensity Distribution?

In summary, the intensity of the sum of two waves is not simply the sum of their individual intensities, as it is proportional to the square of the sum of their amplitudes. This is due to the concept of wave superposition, where the energy is redistributed from the locations of the minima to the locations of the maxima, resulting in a different intensity pattern on the observing screen. This does not violate energy conservation, as no new energy is created or destroyed in the process.
  • #1
physics user1
Lets consider two waves, the intensity of each wave is proportional to the square of their amplitude, now why the intensity of the sum of the two waves is not the sum of each intensity but is proportional to the square of the sum of the amplitudes? (i know it on the math side and i can demonstrate that but i don't get the physical meaning of that)
Whats the meaning of that? Why is the intensity of the result wave different from the sum of the intensity of the waves? Does this mean that there's a difference between the intensity of two waves and the intensity of the resultant wave, but why this happens?
There are points where the sum of the amplitude is zero then there is no intensity, and others where the intensity is even greather than the sum of the intensity of each wave, i can't get why, doesn't this violate the energy conservation?
 
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The wave equation is a linear equation, if you have two or more waves, the will superpose and become a single wave of its own. In short, it's because waves can superpose.
Cozma Alex said:
Does this mean that there's a difference between the intensity of two waves and the intensity of the resultant wave, but why this happens?
How do you define the terms "two waves" and "resultant wave"?
Cozma Alex said:
There are points where the sum of the amplitude is zero then there is no intensity, and others where the intensity is even greather than the sum of the intensity of each wave, i can't get why, doesn't this violate the energy conservation?
The energy is conserved, but unfortunately at the moment I don't have enough free time to brainstorm a representative example for this issue. I will leave this part to another member.
 
  • #3
Cozma Alex said:
There are points where the sum of the amplitude is zero then there is no intensity, and others where the intensity is even greather than the sum of the intensity of each wave, i can't get why, doesn't this violate the energy conservation?

It simply redistributes energy from the locations of the minima to the locations of the maxima. It doesn't create new energy at the maxima or destroy energy at the minima. For simple two-slit interference, if the original beams each would produce uniform intensity I0 on the observing screen, their combination produces instead of a uniform 2I0, the intensity pattern $$I = 4I_0 \cos^2 \left( \frac{\delta}{2} \right)$$ where ##\delta## is the phase difference between the two beams at position x on the screen. For Fraunhofer diffraction and small angles, ##\delta## is proportional to x (x = 0 being the center of the screen): $$\delta = 2 \pi \frac{d}{\lambda} \frac{x}{L}$$ (L = distance from slits to screen, d = spacing between slits)
 
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1. What is intensity of two waves?

The intensity of two waves refers to the amount of energy that is carried by the waves. It is directly proportional to the amplitude squared of the waves and is measured in units of watts per square meter.

2. How is intensity of two waves calculated?

The intensity of two waves can be calculated by taking the square of the amplitude of the waves and dividing it by the impedance of the medium through which the waves are traveling. It can also be calculated by multiplying the power of the waves by the inverse of the surface area over which the waves are spread.

3. What factors affect the intensity of two waves?

The intensity of two waves can be affected by various factors such as the amplitude of the waves, the distance from the source of the waves, the medium through which the waves are traveling, and any obstructions or interferences in the path of the waves.

4. How does the intensity of two waves relate to their loudness or brightness?

The intensity of two waves is directly related to the perceived loudness of sound waves and the brightness of light waves. This means that as the intensity increases, the sound will be perceived as louder and the light will be perceived as brighter.

5. Can the intensity of two waves be increased or decreased?

Yes, the intensity of two waves can be increased or decreased by changing the amplitude of the waves. Increasing the amplitude will result in a higher intensity, while decreasing the amplitude will result in a lower intensity.

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