Lecture 3

Ch16. Transverse Waves

University Physics: Waves and Electricity

Dr.-Ing. Erwin Sitompul
http://zitompul.wordpress.com

Announcements

Quiz 1
Next Week
From Lecture1 until Lecture3

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/2

Homework 2: Phase Differences

A sinusoidal wave of frequency 500 Hz has a speed of 350 m/s.
(a) How far apart are two points that differ in phase by /3
rad?
(b) What is the phase difference between two displacements
at a certain point at times 1 ms apart?

New
A sinusoidal wave of wavelength 280 cm has a speed of 60 m/s.
(a) How many seconds apart are two displacements at a
certain point that differ in phase by 2/3 rad?
(b) What is the phase difference between two displacements
at a certain time at distances 14 cm apart?

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/3

Solution of Homework 2: Phase Differences

f 500 Hz, v 350 m s
350
v
0.7 m

(a)
500
f
x

(0.7) 0.117 11.7 cm

2
2
2
1
1

0.002 s 2 ms
(b) T
500
f
t

t
1 ms

2
2 rad
T 2
T
2 ms

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/4

Example I
A wave traveling along a string is described by
y(x,t) = 0.00327sin(72.1x2.72t),
in which the numerical constants are in SI units.
(a) What is u, the transverse velocity of the element of the
string, at x = 22.5 cm and t = 18.9 s?
x 22.5 cm, t 18.9 s

y ( x, t ) (3.27 mm) sin(72.1x 2.72t )

y ( x, t )
u ( x, t )
t
(2.72 rad s)(3.27 mm) cos(72.1x 2.72t )
(8.894 mm s) cos(72.1x 2.72t )

u (0.225 m,18.9 s) ( 8.894 mm s) cos( 35.1855 rad)

7.197 mm s
Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/5

Example I
A wave traveling along a string is described by
y(x,t) = 0.00327sin(72.1x2.72t),
in which the numerical constants are in SI units.
(b) What is the transverse acceleration ay of the same element
of the spring at that time?
x 22.5 cm, t 18.9 s

u ( x, t ) ( 8.894 mm s) cos(72.1x 2.72t )

u ( x, t )
a y ( x, t )
t
(2.72 rad s)( 8.894 mm s) sin(72.1x 2.72t )
(24.192 mm s 2 ) sin(72.1x 2.72t )

a y (0.225 m,18.9 s) (24.192 mm s 2 ) sin( 35.1855 rad)

14.21mm s 2
Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/6

The Principle of Superposition for Waves

It often happens that two or more
waves pass simultaneously through
the same region (sound waves in a
concert, electromagnetic waves
received by the antennas).
Suppose that two waves travel
simultaneously along the same
stretched string, the displacement of
the string when the waves overlap is
then the algebraic sum.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/7

The Principle of Superposition for Waves

Let y1(x,t) and y2(x,t) be two waves travel simultaneously
along the same stretched string, then the displacement of the
string is given by:
y( x, t ) y1 ( x, t ) y2 ( x, t )

Overlapping waves algebraically add to produce a resultant

wave (or net wave).
Overlapping waves do not in any way alter the travel of each
other.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/8

Interference of Waves
Suppose there are two sinusoidal waves of the same
wavelength and the same amplitude, and they are moving
in the same direction, along a stretched string.
The resultant wave depends on the extent to which one wave
is shifted from the other.
We call this phenomenon of combining waves as
interference.
y1 ( x, t ) ym sin(kx t )
y2 ( x, t ) ym sin( kx t )

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/9

Interference of Waves
The resultant wave as the superposition of y1(x,t) and y2(x,t) of
the two interfering waves is:
y( x, t ) y1 ( x, t ) y2 ( x, t )

ym sin( kx t ) ym sin(kx t )
2 ym sin(kx t 12 ) cos( 12 )
y( x, t ) 2 ym cos( 12 ) sin(kx t 12 )

The resultant sinusoidal wave which is the result of an

interference travels in the same direction as the two original
waves.

sin sin 2sin 12 ( ) cos 12 ( )

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/10

Interference of Waves

Fully constructive
interference
Erwin Sitompul

Fully destructive
interference

Intermediate
interference

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/11

Checkpoint
Here are four possible phase differences between two identical
waves, expressed in wavelengths: 0.2, 0.45, 0.6, and 0.8.
Rank them according to the amplitude of the resultant wave,
greatest first.
Rank: 0.2 and 0.8 tie, 0.6, 0.45

1 2 radians 360

Amplitude ym 2 ym cos( 12 )

0.2 0.4 radians 72

0.45 0.9 radians 162
0.6 1.2 radians 216
0.8 1.6 radians 288

cos( 12 72) 0.809

cos( 12 162) 0.156
cos( 12 216) 0.309
cos( 12 288) 0.809

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/12

Example II
Two identical sinusoidal waves, moving in the same direction
along a stretched string, interfere with each other. The
amplitude ym of each wave is 9.8 mm, and the phase difference
between them is 100.
(a) What is the amplitude ym of the resultant wave due to the
interference, and what is the type of this interference?
ym 2 ym cos( 12 ) 2(9.8 mm) cos( 12 100) 12.599 mm

The interference is intermediate, which can be deducted in

two ways:
1. The phase difference is between 0 and radians.
2. The amplitude ym is between 0 and 2ym.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/13

Example II
Two identical sinusoidal waves, moving in the same direction
along a stretched string, interfere with each other. The
amplitude ym of each wave is 9.8 mm, and the phase difference
between them is 100.
(b) What phase difference, in radians and wavelengths, will
give the resultant wave an amplitude of 4.9 mm?
ym 2 ym cos( 12 )
4.9 mm 2(9.8 mm) cos( )
4.9 mm
1
cos( 2 )
2(9.8 mm)
cos( 12 ) 0.25
1
2

1
2

1.3181 or 1.8235
2.6362 or 3.6470
2.636 rad

Erwin Sitompul

2
2.636
x

2
0.420
0.420 wavelength

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/14

Standing Waves
The following figures shows the superposition of two waves
of the same wavelength and amplitude, traveling in opposite
direction.
Where?
There are places along the string, called nodes, where the
string never moves. Halfway between adjacent nodes, we
can see the antinodes, where the amplitude of the resultant
wave is a maximum.
Where?
The resultant wave is called standing waves because the
wave pattern do not move left or right.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/15

Standing Waves

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/16

Standing Waves
To analyse a standing wave, we represent the two combining
waves with the equations:
y1 ( x, t ) ym sin(kx t )
y2 ( x, t ) ym sin(kx t )

The principle of superposition gives:

y( x, t ) y1 ( x, t ) y2 ( x, t )

ym sin(kx t ) ym sin(kx t )
y( x, t ) 2 ym sin kx cos t

sin sin 2sin 12 ( ) cos 12 ( )

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/17

Standing Waves

For a standing wave, the amplitude 2ymsinkx varies with

position.
For a traveling wave, the amplitude ym is the same for all
position.

0
N

x
N
AN

Erwin Sitompul

N
AN

N
AN

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/18

Standing Waves
y( x, t ) 2 ym sin kx cos t

In the standing wave, the amplitude is zero for values of kx

that give sinkx = 0.
kx n , for n 0,1, 2,K

x n , for n 0,1, 2,K

2

Nodes

In the standing wave, the amplitude is zero for values of kx

that give sinkx = 1
kx 12 , 23 , 52 ,K
kx (n 12 ) , for n 0,1, 2,K

Antinodes

x n , for n 0,1, 2,K

2 2

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/19

Standing Waves and Resonance

Consider a string, such as a guitar
string, that is stretched between two
clamps.
If we send a continuous sinusoidal
wave of a certain frequency along the
string, the reflection and interference
will produce a standing wave pattern
with nodes and antinodes like those in
the figure.
Such a standing wave is said to be
produced at resonance. The string is
said to resonate at a certain resonant
frequencies.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/20

Standing Waves and Resonance

For a string stretched between
two clamps, we note that a node
must exist at each of its end,
because each end is fixed and
cannot oscillate.
The simplest patterns that meets
this requirement is a single-loop
standing wave, with two nodes
and one antinode.
A second simple pattern is the
two loop pattern. This pattern
has three nodes and two
antinodes.
A third pattern has four nodes,
three antinodes, and three loops

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/21

Standing Waves and Resonance

Thus, a standing wave can be set up on a string of length L
by a wave with a wavelength equal to one of the values:

2L
,
n

for n 1, 2,3,K

The resonant frequencies that correspond to these

wavelengths are:
f

v
v
n
,

2L

for n 1, 2,3,K

The last equation tells us that the resonant frequencies are

integer multiples of the lowest resonant frequency, f = v/2L,
for n = 1.
The oscillation mode with the lowest frequency is called the
fundamental mode or the first harmonic.
Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/22

Standing Waves and Resonance

The second harmonic is the oscillation mode with n = 2, the
third harmonic is that with n = 3, and so on.
The collection of all possible
oscillation modes is called
the harmonic series.
n is called the harmonic
number.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/23

Homework 3: Standing Waves

Two identical waves (except for direction of travel) oscillate
through a spring and yield a superposition according to the
equation

y (0.50 cm) sin

mm 1 x cos (40 min 1 )t

(a) What are the amplitude and speed of the two waves?
(b) What is the distance between nodes?
(c) What is the transverse speed of a particle of the string at
the position x = 1.5 cm when t = 9/8 s?

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/24

Homework 3: Standing Waves

New
Two identical waves (except for direction of travel) oscillate
through a spring and yield a superposition according to the
equation

y (0.8 m) sin 3 cm 1 x cos ( 18 s 1 )t

(a) What are the amplitude and speed of the two waves?
(b) What is the distance between nodes?
(c) What is the transverse speed of a particle of the string at
the position x = 2.70 m when t = 0.25 min?

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Wave and Electricity

3/25