A water-surface wave of amplitude carries an intensity toward a boundary where of the…

PHYSICS · Single correct · A Level · Physics · Waves · Waves

Problem

A water-surface wave of amplitude

A_0

carries an intensity

I_0

toward a boundary where

80\%

of the wave’s energy is transmitted and

20\%

is reflected. The intensity of a wave is proportional to the square of its amplitude. Which relationship between the transmitted amplitude

A_T

and the reflected amplitude

A_R

is most consistent with the information? (a)

A_T \approx 4A_R

(b)

A_R \approx 2A_T

(c)

A_T \approx 2A_R

(d)

A_T \approx \sqrt{2}\,A_R