Which of the following best describes the condition for a nodal point in a two-point water wave interference pattern?

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Question restated: Which of the following best describes the condition for a nodal point in a two-point water wave interference pattern?

Option a: The path difference is one full wavelength. This describes constructive interference where waves are in phase, not a nodal (destructive) point. At a nodal point, the amplitudes cancel, so a full-wavelength path difference would reinforce rather than cancel. Therefore this is incorrect.

Option b: The two waves meet in phase. When waves meet in phase, their crests align with crests and troughs with troughs, producing maximum constructive interference, not cancellation. A nodal point corresponds to destructive interference, so this option is not describing a nodal point.

Option c: The waves have identical frequencies. Having the same frequency is necessary for stable interference patterns, but it does not by itself guarantee a nodal point. Nodal points depend on the relative phase and path difference, not merely identical frequencies, making this answer incomplete and thus incorrect as a description of a nodal point.

Option d: The waves arrive out of phase and cancel out. This is the hallmark of a nodal point in a two-point interference pattern: the superposition leads to destructive interference due to a phase difference of pi (out of phase), causing cancellation of the wave amplitudes at that point. This accurately characterizes a nodal condition, so this option is correct.

Summary of why the others are wrong: A describes constructive rather than destructive interference; B states in-phase condition which yields bright or maximum intensity; C mentions frequency equality without addressing phase relations or path difference; D correctly captures the destructive interference necessary for a nodal point.

SPH4U - Physics 12 (2025-26) - A

Which of the following best describes the condition for a nodal point in a two-point water wave interference pattern?

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