Final answer:
The statement is false because if the amplitude of a wave is increased to 4 times its original value, the intensity is increased not by 8 times, but by 16 times since intensity is proportional to the square of the amplitude.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is false. However, the underlying principle that explains this phenomenon is quite logical when one understands how wave intensity is related to amplitude. We know from the principles of Superposition and Interference that when two identical waves with equal amplitudes X interfere constructively, the resulting wave has an amplitude of 2X. According to the relationship between a wave’s energy and amplitude, the energy of a wave increases with an increase in the amplitude of the wave. Specifically, a wave’s energy is proportional to its amplitude squared (E² or B²). Hence, if the amplitude of the wave is increased to 4 times its original value, the intensity, which depends on the energy, would increase by 16 times (since 42 = 16).