Interference of Two Sinusoidal Waves
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Updated Animation Specification (≈ 6 seconds)
1. Overview
- Title: Interference of Two Sinusoidal Waves
- Purpose: Visually demonstrate constructive and destructive interference by overlaying two traveling sinusoidal waves of equal amplitude and frequency but with a controllable phase difference.
- Scene: Single Manim
InterferenceSceneclass (the class should be named InterferenceScene). - Duration: Approximately 6 seconds (well within the 30‑second guideline).
2. Mathematical Elements
- Primary wave equations (in one spatial dimension and time ):
- Resultant wave (superposition):
y_{\text{total}}(x, t) = 2A \cos\left(\frac{\phi}{2}\r\right) \sin\left(kx - \omega t + \frac{\phi}{2}\r\right) - Parameters (default values, adjustable during the animation):
- Amplitude
- Wavenumber with wavelength units
- Angular frequency with frequency Hz
- Phase offset will be animated from (perfect constructive) to (perfect destructive) and back.
3. Visual Elements
| Element | Description | Color / Style |
|---|---|---|
| Wave 1 | Thin sinusoidal curve representing . | Light blue, opacity 0.8 |
| Wave 2 | Thin sinusoidal curve representing . | Orange, opacity 0.8 |
| Resultant Wave | Thicker curve showing . | White, line width 4, glow effect |
| Constructive Zones | Highlighted regions where . | Semi‑transparent green overlay (opacity 0.2) |
| Destructive Zones | Highlighted regions where . | Semi‑transparent red overlay (opacity 0.2) |
| Axes | Horizontal axis from to ; vertical axis from to . | Gray, thin lines |
| Phase Indicator | Small rotating arrow at a fixed location showing the instantaneous phase difference between the two waves. | Yellow arrow, length proportional to |
4. Animation Sequence & Timing (compressed to ~6 s)
| Time (s) | Action |
|---|---|
| 0.0‑0.5 | Fade‑in axes and static background. |
| 0.5‑1.0 | Draw Wave 1 and Wave 2 simultaneously (Create). |
| 1.0‑1.5 | Introduce Resultant Wave (Write). |
| 1.5‑3.0 | Animate the phase offset smoothly from to . Component waves shift, resultant amplitude modulates, overlay transitions from green to red, and the phase‑indicator arrow rotates from 0° to 180°. |
| 3.0‑3.2 | Hold at to emphasize the destructive pattern. |
| 3.2‑4.5 | Animate back from to , reversing the interference pattern and restoring constructive zones. |
| 4.5‑5.0 | Brief pause with all three waves static at . |
| 5.0‑5.5 | Fade‑out all objects simultaneously, ending the scene. |
| 5.5‑6.0 | Optional short buffer (black screen) to reach the target duration. |
5. Camera & Perspective
- Camera Position: Orthographic, centered on the origin, showing the full -range .
- Zoom: Fixed; no zooming or panning needed.
- Perspective: Straight‑on 2‑D view; no rotation.
6. Transitions & Easing
- Phase‑offset animation uses smooth (cubic‑ease‑in‑out) interpolation.
- Fade‑ins and fade‑outs use a linear opacity transition over 0.5 s (adjusted to fit the compressed timeline).
- Overlay color changes follow the sign of and transition continuously with the phase animation.
7. Additional Details
- No Text Labels: All information is conveyed visually.
- Background: Dark navy to make the white resultant wave and colored overlays stand out.
- Lighting: Minimal; a subtle ambient glow on the resultant wave helps it pop.
- Duration Compliance: Total runtime ≈ 6 seconds, satisfying the ≤ 30 second constraint.
Created By
Description
The scene draws two traveling sine waves of equal amplitude and frequency, then adds their superposition as a bold white curve. A phase offset smoothly changes from zero to half a cycle and back, turning constructive interference green and destructive interference red, while a yellow arrow indicates the instantaneous phase difference. The animation highlights how the combined amplitude varies with phase.
Created At
Feb 21, 2026, 11:11 PM
Duration
0:06
Tags
wave-interferencephysics
Status
Completed
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