PHYSICS
PROJECT
2024-25
Topic: Waves
Name: Partiv
Aravind
Class: XI E
WAVES
Waves are propagation of disturbances from place to
place in a regular and organized way. Most familiar are
surface waves that travel on water, but sound, light, and
the motion of subatomic particles all exhibit wavelike
properties. In the simplest waves, the disturbance
oscillates with fixed frequency and wavelength.
Mechanical waves, such as sound, require a medium
through which to travel, while electromagnetic of a wave
through a medium depends on the medium’s properties
Waves come in two kinds,
Transverse Waves: Motion in which all points on a wave
oscillate along paths at right angles to the direction of the
wave's advance. These are those waves on water, with
the surface going up and down. The high point of a
transverse wave is called the crest, and the low point is
called the trough. The distance between successive
crests or troughs is called the wavelength. The height of
a wave is the amplitude. How many crests or troughs
pass a specific point during a unit of time is called
the frequency. The wave speed (v) is defined as the
distance travelled by a wave per unit of time.
Longitudinal Waves: A longitudinal wave is a type of
wave that travels in the direction of the medium. These
are those waves which include those of sound, consisting
of alternating compressions and rarefactions in a
medium.
Relation b/w wavelength, frequence and
velocity:
The wave speed (v) is defined as the distance travelled
by a wave per unit of time. If considering that the wave
travels a distance of one wavelength in one period,
ν=λ/T
As we know that T = 1/f, hence we can express
V=fλ
Where, v = wave speed
f = frequency
lambda = wavelength
The wave speed is equal to the product of its frequency
and wavelength, and this implies the relationship
between frequency and wavelength.
The Speed of a Traveling wave:
A traveling wave is a wave that moves in space. So, what
do we mean by a wave velocity or speed? A wave can be
represented graphically as shown below. Consider a wave
that is traveling in the positive direction of X-axis. We can
represent this wave by the equation y = A sin (kx – ωt) or
the wave equation. Here, A is the amplitude, and k is the
propagation constant.
Wave velocity or Phase Velocity
The distance covered by a wave in the direction of its
propagation per unit time is called the wave velocity. Let
us try and find it for a wave traveling in the positive X
direction. Suppose
y = A sin (kx – ωt) represents our traveling wave. Let us
say that this wave does not change its form while
traveling through any medium. In other words, it
maintains its form.
On the waveform, it retains its displacement as it moves.
For a fixed point on the waveform, we must have a
constant argument. Hence, we have
Therefore, differentiating, both side w.r.t., time t, we get
But dx/dt = wave velocity – v, therefore
This represents the wave velocity or the phase velocity of
a traveling wave. Let us see some special cases now.
Speed of a Transverse Wave on Stretched
String
The speed of transverse waves on a string depends on
two main factors
The linear mass density or mass per unit length, μ
(say)
The tension T of the string.
Here, C is a dimensionless constant. Hence, the speed of
transverse waves on a stretched string is given by:
Hence, the speed of a wave along a stretched ideal string
depends only on the tension and the linear mass density
of the string. It is independent of the frequency of the
wave.
Speed of a Longitudinal Wave Speed of
Sound
Where, P = pressure
Rho = mass density
This relation was first given by Newton and therefore it is
known as Newton’s formula for the speed of sound.
What Is the Superposition of Waves?
According to the principle of superposition, the
resultant displacement of a number of waves in a
medium at a particular point is the vector sum of the
individual displacements produced by each of the waves
at that point.
Standing or stationary waves
1. A stationary wave is one that is not moving or is at a
standstill or resting pose.
2. Whenever two waves with almost similar
frequencies, wavelength, and amplitude traveling
throughout opposing orientations collide, a standing
wave is formed.
Equation of Standing Wave:
o At any point u and time t, assume there are two
waves: one moving to the left and the other moving
to the right. The wave travelling in the positive
direction of the x-axis can be represented as:
y 1 (u, t) = a sin (ku – ωt),
The wave moving in the negative direction of the x-axis
can be expressed as:
y 2 (u, t) = a sin (ku + ωt),
According to the superposition principle, the combined
wave is represented as:
y (u, t) = y 1 (u, t) + y 2 (u, t)
= a sin (ku – ωt) + a sin (ku + ωt)
= (2a sin ku) cos ωt
Nodes and Antinodes:
o A node is a point along a standing wave where the
wave has minimal amplitude.
o Conversely, an antinode is a point where the
amplitude of the standing wave is at its maximum.
These are typically found midway between the
nodes.
Normal Mode:
A mass on a spring oscillates up and down at a single
natural frequency. However, a stretched string with fixed
ends can vibrate up and down at a range of frequencies
and vibration patterns. These unique “Modes of Vibration”
of a string are called standing waves or normal modes.
Bibliography:
Websites
Wikipedia.org
Galieou.edu
Scienceexplained.com
Quora.com
Sciencebuddies.com
Vedantu.com
Toppr.com
