Question

Answer the following questions (a) When a low flying aircraft passes overhead, we sometimes notice a slight shaking of the picture on our TV screen. Suggest a possible explanation. (b) As you have learnt in the text, the principle of linear superposition of wave displacement is basic to understanding intensity distributions in diffraction and interference patterns. What is the justification of this principle?

Answer 1

(a) This is based on the concept of superposition of wave.

The low flying aircraft reflects the TV signals. due to superposition between direct signal received by antenna and the reflected signals from aircraft. so, we sometimes notice slight shaking of the picture on the TV screen.

(b) superposition principle states how to explain formation of resultant wave by combination of two or more waves.

Let $x_1$ and $x_2$ represent instantaneous displacement of two superimposed waves.

then, instantaneous displacement of resultant waves is given by, $x=x_1+x_2$