How can we analyze and interpret data to describe the behavior of mechanical waves as they intersect?
Background Information
During some of the previous modules you may remember learning about transverse waves, crests, troughs, wavelength, amplitude and frequency. During this module we are going to explore these properties more closely and see how they can be manipulated in strange ways when waves interact with one another.
Introduction
Have you ever seen soccer balls collide? The balls bounce off each other because they cannot be in the same place at the same time. Surprisingly, this is not true of waves. Unlike two soccer balls, two waves CAN overlap when they meet. Interference is the interaction between waves that meet and it can be constructive or destructive. When this occurs some strange things happen that have many interesting applications that we depend on in our world today.
Notice how the waves pass through one another. They do not bounce off each other.
Essential Question
How do waves interact both constructively and destructively?