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To make a wave
Need:
a medium that can be disturbed
an external force or disturbance to start the
wave moving
some kind of connection between the particles
of the medium, so they push and pull each other
http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/wave-on-a-string/wave-on-astring_en.html
Longitudinal Wave
Describing Waves
Here is a snapshot of a wave (the position of the
string, e.g.) at two different times:
Red: t = 0
Blue: a later time t
Crest
Trough
Wave Terms
FREQUENCY: (f) how fast the
source vibrates up and down
(cycles/second = Hz)
all portions of the string
vibrate with the same frequency
AMPLITUDE: (A) how far the
vibrating portion moves from
equilibrium
if the string is uniform, all
parts have the same amplitude
too
WAVELENGTH: () distance
between adjacent peaks
1
v=
=
= f
T
T
This is the most
fundamental equation
describing waves
y(x) = A cos
2x
y1 (x) = A cos
y2 (x) = A cos
2x
2(x
y(x, t) = A cos
= A cos
= A cos
(x
2x
2x
vt) +
2vt
2f t +
0.4)
For a string:
v=
T
where = M/L
elastic property
inertial property
Two strings, one thick and the other thin, are connected
to form one long string. A wave travels along the string
and passes the point where the two strings are
connected. Which of the following change(s) at that point:
A. frequency
B. period
C. wave speed
D. wavelength
1 2 2
P = ! A v
2