Wave Interference

This animation show the interference of two wave sources. The animation finishes by adding visual clues to the interfering wave fronts for both constructive and destructive interference.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• physical
• science
• physics
• waves
• interference
• pattern

[KillerXoX]

when theres 2 destructive waves

where does the energy go ?

[mrg3]

@KillerXoX where there is destructive interference, there is less energy, but there are also other places where there is constructive interference where the energy is greater.

[johny260]

I am interested in studying wave interference, especially standing wave patterns. What software did you use to simulate this?

[mrg3]

@johny260 I use a POV-Ray to create the images for the frames of animation, and then VirtualDub or QuickTime Pro to combine the individual images into the animation file. The waves are not simulated; I used the mathematical description of the waves to create the surface contours you see in the animation.

[AlecTeal]

You've done it wrong, if you notice when they're in phase, they are the origional height:

Superposition states that they add; the resultant wave is the sum of its products, it should doulbe in height at constructive and become flat at destructive.

[mrg3]

@AlecTeal If you look closely at the first 6 seconds of video (which is the ONLY part where you can see the wave height from just one source), the heights of the wave peaks when interference occurs ARE twice the height of wave from a single source. The interference pattern depends upon both space and time.

The only artificial/fake part of this video is the lack of a decrease in amplitude with distance from the sources, which I omitted for pedagogical reasons.

[dedly13]

@KillerXoX passes through one another

[uploadmyvideos123]

@KillerXoX Its dissipated to the environment most likely, where else could it possibly go?

[JoshAlfred27]

@KillerXoX there's no destruction just transference.

[888Kharami]

OMG that looks like the Taoist Bagua Symbol...never before have I experianced it as true...thank you-

[DonCorleoneQ8]

the Energy is relative.

If you set your average at 10, and you have an amplitude of +3. then the destructive waves energy amplitude is +7 and the constructive waves amplitude is +13.

the Energy is there, the numbers only give us a measurements relative to the average ( usually = 0, for simplicity )

[i3rdiTubeSock]

When the to waves are destructive, they simply cancel each other out.

Say the aplitude of the crest is +2 cm and the trough of the wave is -2 cm they combine to cancel each other out.