Ocean waves pass through two small openings, 21 m apart, in a breakwater. You\'r

Question

Ocean waves pass through two small openings, 21 m apart, in a breakwater. You're in a boat 76 m from the breakwater and initially midway between the openings, but the water is pretty rough. You row 40 m parallel to the breakwater and, for the second time, find yourself in relatively calm water.

What is the wavelength of the ocean waves ?
Express your answer using two significant figures.

lambda=m

Explanation / Answer

small angle approximation cannot be used since 21m is comparable to 76 m 2nd calm = 2nd minima => path difference = 3l/2 ( l = wavelength) path difference in our case = sqrt((76)^2 + (40 + (21/2))^2) - sqrt((76)^2 + (40-(21/2))^2) = 9.72375147 m so 3l/2 = 9.72375147 l = 6.48250098 lambda = 6.5 m

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