I keep getting “Beats” questions wrong in Oscillations & Waves. What's the trap?
adding the frequencies instead of subtracting.
The usual trap: adding the frequencies instead of subtracting. How to avoid it: beats let musicians tune by ear — zero beats means in tune. Go back to the definition — the slow throbbing when two close frequencies superpose; beat frequency = |f₁ − f₂|.
Key point
Beats
Common mistake
adding the frequencies instead of subtracting.
Memory tip
beats let musicians tune by ear — zero beats means in tune.
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