Question
Wave A and Wave B have the same amplitude. Which description best explains the resulting wave when Wave A is added to Wave B?
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1 point
Captionless Image
The resulting wave will have the same amplitude as the original waves.
The resulting wave will have a smaller amplitude than the original waves.
The resulting wave will have an amplitude of 0.
The resulting wave will have a greater amplitude than the original waves.
*
1 point
Captionless Image
The resulting wave will have the same amplitude as the original waves.
The resulting wave will have a smaller amplitude than the original waves.
The resulting wave will have an amplitude of 0.
The resulting wave will have a greater amplitude than the original waves.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To determine the resulting amplitude when Wave A is added to Wave B, we need to consider the phase (timing) of the two waves. Since you mentioned that they have the same amplitude, their interaction can lead to different outcomes depending on their phase relationship:
1. **Both waves are in phase (constructive interference)**: If Wave A and Wave B reach their peaks (maximum positive displacement) and troughs (maximum negative displacement) at the same time, they will combine to produce a wave with greater amplitude, specifically, double the amplitude of the individual waves.
2. **Both waves are out of phase (destructive interference)**: If Wave A reaches its peak when Wave B reaches its trough, they will cancel each other out, resulting in an amplitude of 0.
Given only the information that the amplitudes are the same, we cannot definitively say which outcome will occur without knowing the phase relationship. However, the resulting wave could be:
- Greater than the original amplitude (if they are in phase)
- The same as the original amplitude (if they are partially out of phase)
- Zero (if they are perfectly out of phase)
The best answer among the options provided is:
"The resulting wave will have a greater amplitude than the original waves."
However, if the question specifically required the outcome as a general case without additional phase information, you might be safer to say "The resulting wave will have the same amplitude as the original waves," but that would only be specifically true under certain conditions.
1. **Both waves are in phase (constructive interference)**: If Wave A and Wave B reach their peaks (maximum positive displacement) and troughs (maximum negative displacement) at the same time, they will combine to produce a wave with greater amplitude, specifically, double the amplitude of the individual waves.
2. **Both waves are out of phase (destructive interference)**: If Wave A reaches its peak when Wave B reaches its trough, they will cancel each other out, resulting in an amplitude of 0.
Given only the information that the amplitudes are the same, we cannot definitively say which outcome will occur without knowing the phase relationship. However, the resulting wave could be:
- Greater than the original amplitude (if they are in phase)
- The same as the original amplitude (if they are partially out of phase)
- Zero (if they are perfectly out of phase)
The best answer among the options provided is:
"The resulting wave will have a greater amplitude than the original waves."
However, if the question specifically required the outcome as a general case without additional phase information, you might be safer to say "The resulting wave will have the same amplitude as the original waves," but that would only be specifically true under certain conditions.