THE PRACTICE STUDIO
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PRACTICE / Interference intensity
One intensity does not identify which wave leads
Each of two equal coherent beams separately gives 6 W/m². Together they give 18 W/m². A phase lag is known to lie between 0° and 180°.
What is that phase lag?
Organize the givens & assumptions
- I₁ = I₂ = 6 W/m²
- Combined intensity = 18 W/m²
- 0° ≤ δ ≤ 180°
Same-frequency coherent beams, parallel polarization, same observation medium and unchanged individual detector intensities, unless the prompt explicitly averages phase.
- A
- B
- C
- D
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