Two radio towers are a distance d apart as shown in the overhead view. Each antenna by itself would radiate equally in all directions in a horizontal plane. The radio waves have the same wavelength λ and start out in phase. A detector is moved in a circle all the way around the towers (−180° < θ ≤ +180°) at a distance much greater than λ. The power P measured by the detector is found to vary with the angle θ.

Suppose d = 3.25λ. (a) In terms of λ, what is the difference in the path lengths traveled by the waves that arrive at the detector at θ = 0? (b) What is the difference in the path lengths traveled by the waves that arrive at the detector at θ = 90°? (c) At how many angles (−180° < θ ≤ +180°) would you expect to detect a maximum intensity? Explain. (It is not necessary to calculate the values of the angles.)

Transcribed Image Text:

-P- 0