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Wave Equation - Lecture Note

1. The document outlines key concepts about mechanical waves including longitudinal and transverse waves, the wave equation, and waves on a stretched string. 2. It discusses the wave equation in detail and how it can describe travelling wave solutions. 3. Examples are provided to illustrate reflection and transmission of waves at an interface between two media with different properties. The relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength is also explained.

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Fredo Yolendra
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386 views42 pages

Wave Equation - Lecture Note

1. The document outlines key concepts about mechanical waves including longitudinal and transverse waves, the wave equation, and waves on a stretched string. 2. It discusses the wave equation in detail and how it can describe travelling wave solutions. 3. Examples are provided to illustrate reflection and transmission of waves at an interface between two media with different properties. The relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength is also explained.

Uploaded by

Fredo Yolendra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

A.

LaRosa

LectureNotes

PH213GENERALPHYSICS
________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTER16:WAVES1
[Link]
OutlineofMechanicalwaves

Longitudinalandtransversewaves
Wavesinastring,soundwaves

Thewaveequation

Descriptionofwavesusingfunctionsoftwovariables
Travellingwaves
2y 1 2y
Thewaveequation 2 2 2 0
x
v t

Wavesinastring

Reflectionandtransmissionofwavesataninterface

Y=Y(x,t) A

kx-t+

Notice the whole expression inside the


parenthesis is referred to as the phase

is the spatial
periodicity

T is the
temporal
periodicity

Example
A sinusoidal wave of frequency 500 Hz has a speed of 350 m/s.
a) How far apart are two points x1 and x2 that, at a given time to,
differ in phase by /3 rad?
b) What is the phase difference between two displacements Y1 and
Y2 at a certain point (at a certain xo point) at times 1 .0 ms apart?
(Notice, you are not being asked for the values of Y1 nor Y2;
just their relative phase difference.)
Solution

v=f
f = 500 Hz and v = 350 m/s implies,
= 350/500 = 0.7 m
Y = A Cos (k x - t +
a) Things happen at t = t0
Phase1 = k x1 - t0 +
Phase2 = k x2 - t0 +
Phase1 - Phase2 = [k x1 - t0 + ] - [ k x2 - t0 +
= [k( x1 - x2

/3 rad = [k( x1 - x2 implies

x1 - x2 = (/3 )/k = (/3 ) /2 =


= 0.7/6 = 11.7 cm
b) Things happen at x = x0
Phase1 = k x0 - t1 +
Phase2 = k x0 - t2 +

Phase1 - Phase2 = [ k x0 - t1 + ] - [k x0 - t2 +
= [ ( t2 - t1
= [ f ( t2 - t1

( t2 - t1 1 ms implies,
Phase1 - Phase2 = [ 500 Hz ( 10-3s

Mechanical Waves

Example

The Wave Equation

Waves on a Stretched String

Cos = 1 (1/2) 2 +
For small : Cos ~ 1
3
Sin = (1/3!) +
For small : Sin =
3
Tan = (1/3!)2 + For small : Tan =
For the case of the string:
Horizontal force Fx = T Cos - T Cos
Vertical force
Fy = T Sin - T Sin

For the case of small and smallcos = 1, cos = 1


sin = , sin =
tan = , tan =
Horizontal force Fx = T - T = 0
Vertical force
Fy = T Sin - T Sin
But, conveniently for the steps to follow below, we
expressed the expression above in terms of the
tangent function

= T tan - T tan

The tan can be interpreted as the slope of the y vs x curve. This is


illustrated in the figure below.

Notice, at a given fixed time t:

y(x,t)

y
= tan
x x

Geometrical
interpretation

x)

Or,

which is

2y 1 2y
2 2 0
2
x
v t
the wave equation

It admits solutions of the form

y(x,t) = f (x-vt) + g(x+vt)


where f and g are arbitrary functions

where v

Energy content in a wave travelling along a string

Case: y = A Sin(kx-t)
/k = v
(T/)1/2 = v

Propagation of energy along a string

Example

At x=0
At x=xo

The little guy A


shakes his hands UP
and DOWN with a
(temporal) frequency
f.
So, at x=0 the motion
is described by
Y = Cos (0-t)
= Cos t

The little guy A sees


that a particular
segment of the string
located at x=xo
(point P) goes UP
and DOWN with
frequency f.
y = Cos (k xo -t)

= 2f

f =v

Reflection and Transmission of Waves at a Interface

Reflected
Incident

incident

reflected

At the left of x=0


the total
displacement is
At the right of x=0
the total
displacement is

Transmitted

Left
side

Right
side

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