Standing waves and maximum intensity?

[kathyt.25]

Homework Statement

"Two loudspeakers emit sound waves along the x-axis. The sound has maximum intensity when the speakers are 27.5 cm apart. The sound intensity decreases as the distance between the speakers is increased, reaching zero at a separation of 60.5 cm. What is the wavelength of the sound?"

I think this is more of a conceptual question that doesn't involve any actual calculation? I think it just involves an understanding of wavelengths and standing waves

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I tried to work this one out, and this would be my reasoning, but it obviously doesn't fit in with the numbers given...
with my assumptions, I *should* be getting 1/2 wavelength = 27.5cm, and 1 wavelength = 55cm

So to work out this problem, I drew two sets of diagrams.
(1) The first diagram has speakers that are 27.5cm apart. Since this is when max intensity is generated, I figured that the antinode must be made in the middle, and that the waves shouldn't cancel out, and instead should be constructively superimposed - ie. added together without cancelling out. So in my diagram, the waves generated in this case make 1/2 a wavelength, which is 27.5cm.

(2) In the second diagram, Since this would be when intensity is zero, I thought that the two waves must cancel out... but still, this doesn't fit in with the assumption that the first case represents 1/2 wavelenght, and the second case represents a full wavelength

 

[earlofwessex]

I would guess that you need to consider the situation slightly differently.

assuming you had the speakers set up to produce a standing wave, then moved one of them further away by one full wavelength, what would happen? what would happen as you moved the speaker?