4 Nature of Waves

4.1 Wave motion

Example 1
A cork floats in water and a dropper is used to produce circular waves as shown above. Which
of the following describes the motion of the cork when the waves pass through it?

A. moves towards the dropper

B. moves away from the dropper
C. vibrates vertically about its original position
D. moves away from the dropper and vibrates vertically at the same time

4.2 Particle vibrations and wave motion

Example 2
A particle vibrates in a vertical line as shown on the right. It takes 0.4 s to go from the highest
point to the lowest point. Find the (a) amplitude, (b) period and (c) frequency of the vibration.

0.12 m

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Example 3
A long string is flicked to produce a wave as shown. Particle A takes 0.4 s to go from the
highest point to the lowest point.
A highest position

0.12 m
lowest position
(a) What is the amplitude of the wave?
(b) Find the period and the frequency of the wave.

Example 4
A student starts to flick one end of a string at time t = 0 to produce a wave. The figures below
show the shape of the string at t = 0.5 s. Find the (a) amplitude, (b) wavelength, (c) wave
speed, (d) period and (e) frequency of the wave.

t = 0.5 s 0.3 m

4m
Example 5
A long string is flicked to produce a wave as shown.

(a) What is the speed of the wave?

(b) Find the period and the frequency of the wave.

Example 6
The diagram shows a water wave travelling to the right. Which of the following statements
is/are true?

(1) PQ is equal to the wavelength.

(2) PR represents the amplitude.
(3) The particle at P will move to S after a quarter of a period.

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Example 7
A wave of frequency 5 Hz is travelling to the right. The figure below shows the waveform and
the position of particle P at time t = 0. In the same figure, sketch the waveform and label the
position of P at t = 0.3 s and 0.35 s.

direction of travel

Example 8
A cork in the water vibrates up and down 4 times in 2 s when a wave passes through it. The
distance between two successive crests of the wave is 10 cm. Find the speed of the water wave.

Example 9
A wave is moving to the right. The figure shows its waveform at a certain instant.

a g h i o p q

b f j n
c e k m direction of travel
d l

(a) Sketch the waveform at a short time after this instant.

(b) Mark the positions of the particles on the new waveform.
(c) Hence determine the direction of motion of the particles at the given instant.

Momentarily at rest Moving upwards Moving downwards

Example 10
A wave is moving to the right. The figure shows its waveform at a certain instant.

A G H I O P Q
direction of travel
B F J N
D E K L M
C

Each pair of neighbouring particles is separated by the same distance d. Determine which
particles are vibrating
(a) (i) in phase,
(ii) in antiphase with particle E.
(b) If the wavelength of the wave is halved, how will the answer in (a) become? Assume d
is unchanged in this case.

Example 11
The figure shows the instantaneous positions of P, Q and R on a sinusoidal wave propagating
to the right. The three points will reach their respective equilibrium positions at different times.
State the sequence.

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Example 12
A student flicks one end of a spring to produce a wave. Determine whether each of the
following changes would change the wave speed.
(a) Stretch the spring more.
(b) Flick the spring with a larger amplitude.
(c) Flick the spring faster.
(d) Use another spring made of different material.

Example 13 DSE 2020 1A Q16

A transverse wave propagates along a stretched string. Which graph below correctly shows
the variation of the speed v of the wave with its frequency f ?

Example 14 DSE 2019 1A Q18

How does the speed of propagation of waves along a stretched string change if the tension in
the string is increased or the string is replaced by a more massive one of the same length and
tension ?

tension increased using a more massive string of

the same length and tension
A. speed increases speed decreases
B. speed increases speed increases
C. speed decreases speed decreases
D. speed decreases speed increases
4.3 Graphical descriptions of transverse waves
Example 15
An sd graph of a wave and an st graph of a particle on another wave are shown below. Both
waves travel at 0.2 m s1. Find the amplitude, wavelength, period and frequency of the waves.
(If a quantity cannot not be obtained from the given graph, write ‘N/A’.)
(a) (b)

s/m s/m

0.5 0.2

0 d/m 0 t/s
0.2 0.4 0.1 0.2
0.5 0.2

Amplitude Wavelength Period Frequency

(a)

(b)

Example 16
Consider the wave as shown below and take the instant shown as at t = 0. If the wave is
1
travelling to the left, draw the displacement–distance graph of the wave at t  T .
4

t=0

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Example 17
The displacement–distance graph at t = 0 s of a wave travelling to the right is shown below.
The speed of the wave is 4 m s–1.

X


(a) Find the amplitude and the wavelength of the wave,

(b) Find the frequency of the wave.
(c) Draw the displacement–time graph for the particle at X from t = 0 to t = 0.5 s.

Example 18
At t = 0, particle X was at its equilibrium position. The frequency of the wave is 10 Hz. Draw
the displacement–time graph for X from t = 0 to t = 0.4 s.
Example 19 DSE 2018 1A Q15
The figure below shows the displacement-time graph of particles P and Q on the same
transverse travelling wave of wavelength λ.
Which of the following statement MUST
BE correct ? Upward displacement is
taken to be positive.
(1) At time t = 2 s, P is momentarily at
rest.
(2) At time t = 4 s, Q is moving
downwards.
(3) The separation between the
equilibrium position of P and Q is
0.25λ.
A. (2) only B. (3) only
C. (1) and (2) only D. (1) and (3) only

Example 20 DSE 2020 1A Q12

The figure shows part of the displacement-distance graph of a travelling wave of period T at
time t = 0. P is a particle on the wave.

Which graph below correctly shows the variation of the particle’s kinetic energy E within a
period starting from t = 0 ?

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Example 21
One end of a string is flicked to produce a wave. The figures below show the shape of the
string at time t = 0 and t = 0.6 s. P is a particle on the string.
P
t=0
2.4 m

0.9 m

P
t = 0.6 s

(a) Sketch the waveform on the string at t = 2.2 s. Label the position of P on it.
(b) Sketch the st graph of particle P from t = 0 to t = 2.2 s.