AAMC #5, Question 45

[Velour Fog]

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I just don't get it. I can't even begin to describe my level of confusion with the question. The only thing I could think of while trying to reason through it was waves of identical magnitudes traveling in opposite directions will cancel each other out. Obviously, since that was actually the right answer, I went about it the completely wrong way.

Any help would be appreciated 🙂

 

[Catburr]

That question is just asking you to gather info from the passage/question - that there is a "standing wave pattern established within a laser cavity" - and then remember that standing waves are the result of two waves of equal amplitude traveling in opposite directions.

Standing waves can also result from the medium moving in the opposite direction of the wave, but that's not applicable in this question.

Hope that helps!

EDIT: Also, just to let you know, you'll get more replies on here if you write out the question and possible answers. Not everyone has access to the practice exams, or the desire to go look them up. : )

 

[Velour Fog]

Thanks! Yeah, I guess knowing the definitions of important terms is important haha...

As far as rewriting questions directly, I wasn't sure whether it was against the terms of use for AAMC. Good to know for the future and, again, thanks!

 

[Catburr]

No problem. My understanding is it was decided a while back that in the interest of using them as a study tool, the practice exams were fair game for specific discussion. People (myself included, and no disciplinary action yet here!) pretty frequently post rewrites and even screenshots from the practice exams, so feel free. I'm sure there's a line drawn somewhere between a cropped pic of one question and an entire exam scanned and posted, so just post the minimum that lets people understand your question, I'd think.