Final answer:
The speakers likely have an initial phase difference of π radians for destructive interference at point P. The musician will hear 40 beats in 10 seconds from the guitar and the tuning fork.
Step-by-step explanation:
For two speakers emitting sound waves that produce destructive interference at point P, the phase difference between the speakers must be an odd multiple of π radians (180°). Given the wavelength λ=4 m, and the distances from point P to speakers 1 and 2 being 3 m and 1 m respectively, the path difference is 2 m, which is half a wavelength (λ/2).
This leads to destructive interference. Considering the initial phase difference, it is most likely that the speakers have an initial phase difference Δφ₀ = π because this represents an out-of-phase condition that would cause destructive interference at point P.
For the wave beats question, when two sound waves of frequencies 440 Hz and 436 Hz are played together, the number of beat frequencies heard in one second is the absolute difference in their frequencies, which is 4 beats per second. Therefore, over 10 seconds, he will hear 40 beats.