Final answer:
Two wave pulses traveling in opposite directions do not reflect off each other, but instead pass through and interfere with one another. This can be demonstrated through experiments with wave functions or visually with a jump rope, which exhibits constructive and destructive interference leading to a standing wave.
Step-by-step explanation:
To dispel the misconception that two wave pulses traveling in opposite directions will reflect off each other, you can perform a simple experiment with wave functions. Consider two waves represented by y₁ (x, t) = A sin (kx - wt) and y₂ (x, t) = A sin(kx + wt). When they travel in opposite directions towards each other, they do not reflect but instead interfere, which can result in constructive or destructive interference patterns.
For visual evidence, you could use a jump rope to create transverse waves. When you and a friend each create waves from opposite ends of the rope, the waves will move through each other, forming a standing wave with nodes and antinodes; this is direct evidence of waves passing through one another, not reflecting off one another.
Destructive interference is demonstrated by waves that meet out of phase, such as two identical waves arriving exactly out of phase with one another, creating points where the wave amplitude is zero. This phenomenon, shown in Figure 13.12, is further proof that the waves pass through each other rather than reflecting off.