Question

In a large water tank experiment, water waves are generated with straight, parallel wave fronts, 3.00 m apart. The wave fronts pass through two openings 5.00 m apart in a long board. The end of the tank is 3.00 m beyond the board. Where would you stand, relative to the perpendicular bisector of the line between the openings, if you want to receive little, or no, wave action.

Answer 1

To avoid wave action, you would need to stand on the perpendicular bisector equal distance from the openings.

Now,

To receive little or no wave action, you would need to stand at a location where the waves cancel each other out due to interference. This occurs when the waves from the two openings are exactly out of phase with each other.

If the distance between the two openings is 5.00 m and the distance between the wave fronts is 3.00 m, there will be a point of constructive interference between the openings at a distance of (3.00 m/2) = 1.50 m from the perpendicular bisector of the line between the openings.

To avoid wave action, you would need to stand on the perpendicular bisector equal distance from the openings, which is 2.50 m away.