Transverse and Longitudinal waves

(propagated in helix / slinky spring)

Experiment # 1

Objectives:
1. Demonstrate transverse and longitudinal waves using a helix/slinky spring.
2. Determine the compressions and rarefactions of a longitudinal wave propagated
by a helix/slinky spring.
3. Demonstrate reflection in transverse and longitudinal waves.
Materials:
Slinky spring
Meter stick / tape measure
Stopwatch
Abstract:
Waves differ in many shapes and forms. One way to categorize waves is on the basis of
the direction of movement of the individual particles of the medium relative to the
direction that the waves travel. Two types of mechanical waves are transverse and
longitudinal waves. A transverse wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move
in a direction perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves. On the other hand, a
longitudinal wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a
direction parallel to the direction that the wave moves. In the experiment, we measured
the time it takes for the longitudinal wave to reflect back to its original source of force.
With one end of the spring is fixed into a stationary position, it takes an average of 0.48
seconds for the wave to reflect back to its original source of force.
Data and results:
(copy from worksheet)
Analysis and interpretation:
A transverse wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a direction
perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves. Suppose that a slinky is stretched
out in a horizontal direction across the classroom and that a pulse is introduced into the
slinky on the left end by vibrating the first coil up and down. Energy will begin to be
transported through the slinky from left to right. As the energy is transported from left to
right, the individual coils of the medium will be displaced upwards and downwards. In
this case, the particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction that the pulse
moves. This type of wave is a transverse wave. Transverse waves are always
characterized by particle motion being perpendicular to wave motion.
A longitudinal wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a
direction parallel to the direction that the wave moves. Suppose that a slinky is
stretched out in a horizontal direction across the classroom and that a pulse is
introduced into the slinky on the left end by vibrating the first coil left and right. Energy
will begin to be transported through the slinky from left to right. As the energy is
transported from left to right, the individual coils of the medium will be displaced
leftwards and rightwards. In this case, the particles of the medium move parallel to the
direction that the pulse moves. This type of wave is a longitudinal wave. Longitudinal
waves are always characterized by particle motion being parallel to wave motion.
Conclusion:
Waves traveling through a solid medium can be either transverse waves or longitudinal
waves. Transverse waves require a relatively rigid medium in order to transmit their
energy. As one particle begins to move it must be able to exert a pull on its nearest
neighbor. Any wave moving through a medium has a source. Somewhere along the
medium, there was an initial displacement of one of the particles. For a slinky wave, it is
usually the first coil that becomes displaced by the hand of a person. For a sound wave,
it is usually the vibration of the vocal chords or a guitar string that sets the first particle
of air in vibrational motion. At the location where the wave is introduced into the
medium, the particles that are displaced from their equilibrium position always moves in
the same direction as the source of the vibration. So if you wish to create a transverse
wave in a slinky, then the first coil of the slinky must be displaced in a direction
perpendicular to the entire slinky. Similarly, if you wish to create a longitudinal wave in a
slinky, then the first coil of the slinky must be displaced in a direction parallel to the
entire slinky.
Questions:
Superposition property, states that, for all linear systems, the net response at
a given place and time caused by two or more stimuli is the sum of the
responses which would have been caused by each stimulus individually. The
principle of superposition may be applied to waves whenever two (or more)
waves travelling through the same medium at the same time. The waves pass
through each other without being disturbed. The net displacement of the
medium at any point in space or time, is simply the sum of the individual wave
displacements. This is true of waves which are finite in length (wave pulses) or
which are continuous sine waves.
Interference
Interference is what happens when two or more waves come together. Depending
on how the peaks and troughs of the waves are matched up, the waves might add
together or they can partially or even completely cancel each other. We'll discuss
interference as it applies to sound waves, but it applies to other waves as well.
Linear superposition
The principle of linear superposition - when two or more waves come together, the
result is the sum of the individual waves.
The principle of linear superposition applies to any number of waves, but to simplify
matters just consider what happens when two waves come together. For example,
this could be sound reaching you simultaneously from two different sources, or two
pulses traveling towards each other along a string. When the waves come together,
what happens? The result is that the waves are superimposed: they add together,
with the amplitude at any point being the addition of the amplitudes of the individual
waves at that point.
Although the waves interfere with each other when they meet, they continue
traveling as if they had never encountered each other. When the waves move away
from the point where they came together, in other words, their form and motion is the
same as it was before they came together.
4. A transverse wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a direction
perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves.
5. light wave is an example of transverse wave.
6. The audience wave is an example of transverse wave.
7. The secondary as well as magnetic waves are an example of transverse wave.
8. Radio waves are also transverse waves.
9. Television waves are transverse waves.
10. In gas and liquid the sound waves are transverse waves.
11. Surface waves are transverse waves.
12. The visible light waves are transverse waves.
13. Water wave is a transverse wave.
14. S- waves are transverse waves
15. Ultraviolet waves travel as transverse waves.
16. The vibrating guitar strings are also an example of transverse waves.
17. Doing the wave at the stadium is another example.
18. Gamma rays are another example.
19. The x rays are also electromagnetic as well as transverse in nature.
20. The radio and microwave is example of transverse waves.
21. Heat is an example of transverse wave.
A longitudinal wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a
direction parallel to the direction that the wave moves.
The various examples of sound wave are:
1. Sound wave
2. Earthquake P wave
3. Tsunami waves
4. Waves in a slink
5. Glass vibrations
6. Internal water waves
7. Ultra sound
8. Spring oscillations

References:
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-1/Categories-of-Waves
http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/py105/WaveInterference.html
http://physics.tutorvista.com/waves/transverse-waves.html
http://physics.tutorvista.com/waves/longitudinal-waves.html