Question

Max and Jimmy want to jump on a trampoline. Max begins jumping in a steady pattern, making small waves in the trampoline. Jimmy starts jumping on the trampoline too. Suddenly, Max goes twice as high even though he did not put any extra effort into jumping.

What type of wave interaction is this? Explain how it occurred.

Answer 1

Answer: The wave interaction described in the scenario is known as constructive interference.

Step-by-step explanation:

Constructive interference occurs when two waves meet and combine in such a way that their amplitudes add up, resulting in a larger wave. In this case, Max's steady pattern of jumping creates small waves on the trampoline, with a certain amplitude.

When Jimmy starts jumping on the trampoline, his waves combine with Max's waves. If the peaks and troughs of both waves align perfectly, they will add up, resulting in a wave with a larger amplitude. This alignment of peaks and troughs leads to constructive interference, causing Max to go twice as high without any additional effort.

The reason behind this phenomenon lies in the nature of waves. When waves meet, their amplitudes can either add up or cancel out, depending on their relative positions. In the case of constructive interference, the peaks of one wave align with the peaks of the other wave, and the troughs align with the troughs, resulting in an increased amplitude. Conversely, in destructive interference, the peaks align with the troughs, leading to a cancellation or reduction in amplitude.

So, in the scenario, Jimmy's waves align with Max's waves in such a way that their amplitudes combine constructively, resulting in Max going twice as high on the trampoline without exerting any extra effort.

Answer 2

This seems like wave interference.

Because there is one wave interfering with the other. They are both separate waves with completely different patterns, and they are running into each other.

Hope this helps! :)