Chapter 16

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2013/02/22

Wave Motion
16.1 Propagation of a disturbance
16.2 The travelling wave model
16.3 The speed of waves on a
string
16.4 Reflection and transmission

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Waves are disturbances that move through a medium.


Typically, these disturbances are repeated at regular
intervals. In such cases, the elements of the medium
undergo harmonic motion

A wave apparatus Examples of waves


water waves sound waves

physics.ucsc.edu
www.wikipedia.org

www.iwr.uni-heidelberg.de

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Propagation of a disturbance
All mechanical waves require:
 some source of disturbance
 a medium through which the wave can propagate
 a physical mechanism through which the elements
of the medium can influence each other

e.g. water wave

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

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Waves may be transverse or longitudinal

Transverse pulse: The


disturbance is at right
angles to the direction of
propagation

Longitudinal travelling wave: disturbance is


parallel to direction of propagation

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

The travelling wave model


Consider the following one-dimensional sinusoidal
wave travelling with speed v in the positive x-
direction

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

At t = 0:
The displacement y, at any position x, is given
by
 2 
y  A sin x
  
where A = amplitude of wave (units: m),
 = wavelength of wave (units: m)
At a later time t:
Displacement of point P at x
= displacement of P at x + vt

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

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Thus the displacement of any point on wave at


time t will be:
2
y  A sin[ ( x  vt)]

Conversely, for wave travelling in the –x direction
2
y  A sin[ ( x  vt)]

As in simple harmonic motion, we define the
frequency f as the number of oscillations per
second at any point x. Here again f  1
T

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Period:
The wave travels a distance  in the time t = T
where T constitutes the wave’s period

Hence v  , and we may therefore write
T
  x vt    x t 
y  A sin 2     A sin 2   
        T 

We define the wave number k as:


2
k (measured in rad.m-1)

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

We have previously introduced the angular frequency:


2
 (measured in rad.s-1)
T
Thus y  A sin(kx  t )

We note that the wave velocity is also given by


 2 / k 
v   v
T 2 /  k

Or, since 1/T = f, v  f

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

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The equation y  A sin (kx  t )


assumes that y = 0 at x = 0 and t = 0

In the general case this is not necessarily so,


and instead y  A sin (kx  t   )
where  is referred to as the phase constant

A positive coefficient of ω signifies a wave moving


in the –ve x-direction, while a negative coefficient
indicates the wave is moving in the +ve x-direction

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Example 16.2 – A traveling sinusoidal wave


The sinusoidal wave in the diagram (at t = 0) moves in
the positive x-direction, and has a frequency of 8 Hz.

A = 15 cm
λ = 40 cm
a) Calculate the wave number, period, angular
frequency and speed of the wave
2 2 rad
k  = 0.157 rad/cm
 40 cm
1 1
T  = 0.125 s
f 8

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

  2f  2 rad 8 = 50.3 rad/s


v  f  40 cm 8 s1  = 320 cm/s

b) Determine the phase constant and give a general


expression of the wave function
y  A sinkx  t     15 cm sin0.157 x  50.3t   
When t = 0 then, at x = 0, y = 15 cm
15 cm  15 cm sin0.157  0  50.3  0   
 sin   1     2 rad
y  15 cm sin0.157 x  50.3t   2

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

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The speed of waves on a string


Consider a pulse moving along a taut string

 The tension in the string is T


 The pulse moves at a speed v
 The mass of string per unit length is µ

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

It can be proven that the speed of a pulse on such a


string will be given by the following formula

T (derivation not
v required)

Note:
 A large T implies a large v
 A large  signifies a small v
 The equation is valid for any shape of the pulse

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Classwork Example 1

A string with mass per unit length 0.0065


kg/m is used to suspend a 30 kg mass over a
pulley. A transverse wave with wavelength 40
cm and amplitude 2.5 mm moves along the
string. Determine the maximum speed of a
particle on the string.
30 kg

8.35 m/s

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Reflection and transmission


What happens when the medium in which the
wave moves is changing?

 When a pulse encounters a medium boundary,


reflection occurs
 Reflection can result in a 180º phase change
 Where transmission to another medium occurs, the
speed of the wave normally changes
 Reflection and transmission can occur concurrently

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Fixed end Free end


(movable)

180° phase change on No phase change on


reflection reflection

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

Reflection and transmission at boundary


between two different media

Light-to-heavy string:
• Reflected pulse inverted
• 180° phase shift
• Transmitted pulse slower

Heavy-to-light string:
• Reflected pulse upright
• No phase shift
• Transmitted pulse faster

PHY1A01 – Waves: Wave Motion

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