Question:

You are standing 2.5 m directly in front of one of the two

loudspeakers shown in the figure. They are 3.0 m apart and
both are playing a 686 Hz tone in phase. As you begin to
walk directly away from the speaker, at what distances
from the speaker do you hear a minimum sound intensity?
The room temperature is 200 C. .

Answer:
Frequency of sound f = 686 Hz
Speed of sound at 00 C, V0 = 331 m/s
Therefore, speed of sound at 200 C, V = V0 + 0.61t = 331 + 0.61 x 20 = 343.2 m/s
.

Wavelength of sound, = =

= 0.50 m

The minimum sound will be heard at positions at which the path difference between the waves coming

from the two speakers is an odd number multiple of , i. e. (2n 1) , where n = 1, 2, 3, -----From the figure, path difference = BC AC =
+

Thus,

x = (2n 1)

For n = 1
+ (3.0) x = (2 x 1 1)
Or

+ 9.0 x = 0.25

+ 9.0 = 0.25 + x

Or

Squaring both sides, we get

x2 + 9.0 = 0.0625 + x2 + 0.50 x
Or
x=

.
.

= 17.875 m

Similarly for n = 2
+ (3.0) x = (2 x 2 1)

Or

+ 9.0 x = 0.75

+ 9.0 = 0.75 + x

Or

Squaring both sides, we get

x2 + 9.0 = 0.5625 + x2 + 1.50 x
Or
x=

.
.

= 5.625 m

Similarly for n = 3
+ (3.0) x = (2 x 3 1)

Or

+ 9.0 x = 1.25

+ 9.0 = 1.25 + x

Or

Squaring both sides, we get

x2 + 9.0 = 1.5625 + x2 + 2.50 x
Or
x=

.
.

= 2.975 m

Hence, minimum sound intensity is heard at 2.975 m, 5.625 m and 17.875 m from the speaker A.