Question: If two identical waves are spatially separated, each having an intensity of 1.00 W/m 2 , interfere perfectly constructively in a particular location, what is

If two identical waves are spatially separated, each having an intensity of 1.00 W/m2, interfere perfectly constructively in a particular location, what is the intensity of the wave at this particular location?


Strategy

We know from Superposition and Interference that when two identical waves, which have equal amplitudes X, interfere perfectly constructively, the resulting wave has an amplitude of 2X. Because a wave's intensity is proportional to amplitude squared, the intensity of the resulting wave is four times as great as in the individual waves.

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