In a ripple tank experiment, students see a bright line where the waves are always higher than in other areas. What wave interaction causes this effect?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

In ripple tank experiments, bright bands occur where wave crests from different sources arrive together in phase, reinforcing each other. This is a classic case of interference phenomena, not a change in energy density caused by the tank itself.
Option a: 'a. Superposition of two waves meeting in phase' directly describes constructive interference, where two waves align their crests and troughs to produce a higher amplitude region, which appears as a bright line on the surface. This matches the observed effect.
Option b: 'The tank’s slope concentrating energy' would imply a geometric focusing or a change in energy distribution due to the container shape, but a slope does not inherently create a persistent bright line from wave interference patterns. The question emphasizes a wave-interaction origin, not a static geometry effect.
Option c: 'Air currents pushing the surface' would introduce random disturbances or drag, typically causing noise or irregularities rather than a stable, clearly defined bright line resulting from coherent wave interaction.
Option d: 'Reflection from the tank walls' can create standing waves or fringe patterns, but the bright line described as always higher than surrounding areas is best explained by constructive interference when two waves meet in phase, not simply by reflection alone.
Overall, the phenomenon is best attributed to interference between waves that are in phase, producing a localized increase in amplitude along the line where they reinforce each other.

SPH4U - Physics 12 (2025-26) - A

In a ripple tank experiment, students see a bright line where the waves are always higher than in other areas. What wave interaction causes this effect?

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