Interference and Diffraction - MCAT Physical

Card 0 of 35

Question

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Answer

The bright lines from a diffraction grating can be located with the equation $m\lambda =dsin(\theta )$ , where $\lambda$ is wavelength, d is the distance between slits in the diffraction grating, and $\theta$ is the angle of separation from the center of the interference pattern on the screen. $\lambda$ is proportional to $sin(\theta )$ , so if $\lambda$ decreases, the angle of separation between lines also decreases.

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Question

At a local concert, a speaker is set up to produce low-pitched base sounds with a frequency range of 20Hz to 200Hz, which can be modeled as sine waves. In a simplified model, the sound waves the speaker produces can be modeled as a cylindrical pipe with one end closed that travel through the air at a velocity of $v = 331 \frac{m}{s} + 0.6\frac{m}{s}(T)$ , where T is the temperature in °C.

If the sound crew that set up the speakers accidently set up an additional identical speaker directly opposite the base and flipped the phase switch to produce base waves that can be modeled as cosine waves, how would the volume of the sound change at the midpoint of the two speakers?

Answer

First, let’s look at what this question is asking us to consider. The question wants us to determine the relationship between waves produced from our sine phase base speaker and a cosine phase speaker accidently placed directly across from it. Two important facts come to mind when thinking about this scenario. First, the waves physically overlap in space because the speakers are pointed directly at each other. Second, the sine and cosine waves are exactly 180º out of phase. Remember that waves completely out of phase create destructive interference, meaning that the resultant wave will have no amplitude. The volume directly between the two speakers is zero because volume is directly correlated to wave amplitude.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Answer

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Answer

Destructive inference occurs when the peak of one wavelength encounters the trough of another wavelength. This causes the waves to cancel each other out, essentially producing a much smaller audible wavelength. In contrast, constructive interference will result in the summation of the wave amplitudes, and an increase in the volume and intensity of the sound.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Answer

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Answer

The bright lines from a diffraction grating can be located with the equation $m\lambda =dsin(\theta )$ , where $\lambda$ is wavelength, d is the distance between slits in the diffraction grating, and $\theta$ is the angle of separation from the center of the interference pattern on the screen. $\lambda$ is proportional to $sin(\theta )$ , so if $\lambda$ decreases, the angle of separation between lines also decreases.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

At a local concert, a speaker is set up to produce low-pitched base sounds with a frequency range of 20Hz to 200Hz, which can be modeled as sine waves. In a simplified model, the sound waves the speaker produces can be modeled as a cylindrical pipe with one end closed that travel through the air at a velocity of $v = 331 \frac{m}{s} + 0.6\frac{m}{s}(T)$ , where T is the temperature in °C.

If the sound crew that set up the speakers accidently set up an additional identical speaker directly opposite the base and flipped the phase switch to produce base waves that can be modeled as cosine waves, how would the volume of the sound change at the midpoint of the two speakers?

Answer

First, let’s look at what this question is asking us to consider. The question wants us to determine the relationship between waves produced from our sine phase base speaker and a cosine phase speaker accidently placed directly across from it. Two important facts come to mind when thinking about this scenario. First, the waves physically overlap in space because the speakers are pointed directly at each other. Second, the sine and cosine waves are exactly 180º out of phase. Remember that waves completely out of phase create destructive interference, meaning that the resultant wave will have no amplitude. The volume directly between the two speakers is zero because volume is directly correlated to wave amplitude.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Answer

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Answer

Destructive inference occurs when the peak of one wavelength encounters the trough of another wavelength. This causes the waves to cancel each other out, essentially producing a much smaller audible wavelength. In contrast, constructive interference will result in the summation of the wave amplitudes, and an increase in the volume and intensity of the sound.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Answer

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Answer

The bright lines from a diffraction grating can be located with the equation $m\lambda =dsin(\theta )$ , where $\lambda$ is wavelength, d is the distance between slits in the diffraction grating, and $\theta$ is the angle of separation from the center of the interference pattern on the screen. $\lambda$ is proportional to $sin(\theta )$ , so if $\lambda$ decreases, the angle of separation between lines also decreases.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

At a local concert, a speaker is set up to produce low-pitched base sounds with a frequency range of 20Hz to 200Hz, which can be modeled as sine waves. In a simplified model, the sound waves the speaker produces can be modeled as a cylindrical pipe with one end closed that travel through the air at a velocity of $v = 331 \frac{m}{s} + 0.6\frac{m}{s}(T)$ , where T is the temperature in °C.

If the sound crew that set up the speakers accidently set up an additional identical speaker directly opposite the base and flipped the phase switch to produce base waves that can be modeled as cosine waves, how would the volume of the sound change at the midpoint of the two speakers?

Answer

First, let’s look at what this question is asking us to consider. The question wants us to determine the relationship between waves produced from our sine phase base speaker and a cosine phase speaker accidently placed directly across from it. Two important facts come to mind when thinking about this scenario. First, the waves physically overlap in space because the speakers are pointed directly at each other. Second, the sine and cosine waves are exactly 180º out of phase. Remember that waves completely out of phase create destructive interference, meaning that the resultant wave will have no amplitude. The volume directly between the two speakers is zero because volume is directly correlated to wave amplitude.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Answer

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Answer

Destructive inference occurs when the peak of one wavelength encounters the trough of another wavelength. This causes the waves to cancel each other out, essentially producing a much smaller audible wavelength. In contrast, constructive interference will result in the summation of the wave amplitudes, and an increase in the volume and intensity of the sound.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Answer

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Answer

The bright lines from a diffraction grating can be located with the equation $m\lambda =dsin(\theta )$ , where $\lambda$ is wavelength, d is the distance between slits in the diffraction grating, and $\theta$ is the angle of separation from the center of the interference pattern on the screen. $\lambda$ is proportional to $sin(\theta )$ , so if $\lambda$ decreases, the angle of separation between lines also decreases.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

At a local concert, a speaker is set up to produce low-pitched base sounds with a frequency range of 20Hz to 200Hz, which can be modeled as sine waves. In a simplified model, the sound waves the speaker produces can be modeled as a cylindrical pipe with one end closed that travel through the air at a velocity of $v = 331 \frac{m}{s} + 0.6\frac{m}{s}(T)$ , where T is the temperature in °C.

If the sound crew that set up the speakers accidently set up an additional identical speaker directly opposite the base and flipped the phase switch to produce base waves that can be modeled as cosine waves, how would the volume of the sound change at the midpoint of the two speakers?

Answer

First, let’s look at what this question is asking us to consider. The question wants us to determine the relationship between waves produced from our sine phase base speaker and a cosine phase speaker accidently placed directly across from it. Two important facts come to mind when thinking about this scenario. First, the waves physically overlap in space because the speakers are pointed directly at each other. Second, the sine and cosine waves are exactly 180º out of phase. Remember that waves completely out of phase create destructive interference, meaning that the resultant wave will have no amplitude. The volume directly between the two speakers is zero because volume is directly correlated to wave amplitude.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Answer

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Answer

Destructive inference occurs when the peak of one wavelength encounters the trough of another wavelength. This causes the waves to cancel each other out, essentially producing a much smaller audible wavelength. In contrast, constructive interference will result in the summation of the wave amplitudes, and an increase in the volume and intensity of the sound.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Answer

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

Compare your answer with the correct one above

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Interference and Diffraction - MCAT Physical

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of , which gives the correct answer of .

Two people are singing a note at exactly . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of , which gives the correct answer of .

Two people are singing a note at exactly . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of , which gives the correct answer of .

Two people are singing a note at exactly . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

A red light (wavelength = 6.5 * 10-7m) shines on a diffraction grating, creating an interference pattern on a distant screen. If a blue light (wavelength= 4.75 * 10-7m) were shone on the same screen instead, the bright lines on the screen would __________.

Two waves of equal amplitude destructively interfere, resulting in a wave with zero amplitude. What is the phase difference between the two waves?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of , which gives the correct answer of .

Two people are singing a note at exactly . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

What term describes the phenomenon as a wave spreads into the region behind an obstruction?

Diffraction occurs when a wave passes into a region behind an obstruction (or spreads out when passing through an aperture).

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?

Two waves will cancel to zero amplitude when the relative shift between them is half a period. This corresponds to half of $2\pi$ , which gives the correct answer of $\pi$ .

Two people are singing a note at exactly $\small 300Hz$ . A microphone is placed in front of them to record their voices, but when the track is played back the recorded note is much quieter than the singers were producing. What phenomenon can explain this result?