Question

What effect would an increase in frequency have on the interference pattern? What effect would a decrease in the distance between the wave sources have on the interference pattern? If the phase of the vibrating sources was changed so that they were vibrating completely out of phase, what effect would this have on the interference pattern?

Answer 1

Increasing the frequency of waves leads to a denser interference pattern, decreasing the distance between sources results in a more closely spaced pattern, and changing the vibrating sources to be out of phase inverts the locations of constructive and destructive interference in the pattern.

Step-by-step explanation:

An increase in frequency would result in a decrease in wavelength, leading to a more closely spaced interference pattern with an increase in the number of nodes and antinodes. A decrease in the distance between wave sources would similarly lead to a more closely spaced pattern. If the phase of vibrating sources is changed to be completely out of phase, the points of constructive interference would become points of destructive interference and vice versa, altering the locations of bright and dark fringes in the pattern.