（6.

1 Several Concepts of Mechanical Wave）

1. An oscillator creates periodic waves on a stretched string. If the oscillator frequency doubles,
what happens to the wavelength and wave speed?
(a) Wavelength doubles; wave speed is unchanged.
(b) Wavelength is unchanged; wave speed doubles.
(c) Wavelength is halved; wave speed is unchanged.
Answer: (c) wavelength=v/f
2. An oscillator creates periodic waves on a stretched rope. Which of the following parameters
cannot be changed by altering the motion of the oscillator ?
(a) Wave frequency
(b)Wave speed
(c) Wave length
Answer: (b)
3. What is the wavelength of a sound wave in air at 20 ° C if the frequency is f=262 Hz ? Assume
that the speed of sound in air is 344m/s.
Answer: λ=v/f=1.31m
4. If an earthquake wave having a wavelength of 13km cause the ground to vibrate 10.0 times
each minute, what is the speed of the wave?
Answer:
T=6 s
λ=1.3×10 4 m
v=λ/T=2166.67 m/s
(6.2 Mathematical Description of a Wave)
5. The expression of a mechanical wave is y=0.05cos(6 πt+0.06 πx ) , where the unit of y and x is
m and the unit of t is s, then
(a) The wavelength is 5 m
(b) The wave speed is 10 m/s
(c) The period is (1/3) s
(d) The wave travels along the positive direction of x axis.
Answer: (c)
6. The wave equation of a transverse wave spreading along a rope is y=0.20cos(2.50 πt−πx ),
where the unit of y and x is m and the unit of t is s. (a) What are the amplitude, wave speed,
frequency and wavelength of the wave? (b) What is the maximum oscillating speed of the mass
point on the rope? (c) Draw the waveforms at t=0 s, and mark the crest and the trough of the
wave? Draw the oscillation curve of the mass point when x=1.0 m.
Answer:
(a) A=0.20m
y=0.20cos2 π (1.25t-0.5x)=0.20cos2 π (t/0.8-x/2) T=0.8s λ=2m
v=λ/T=2.5 m/s f=1/T=1.25 Hz
(b) y=0.20cos(2.50 πt ¿ v=-0.5 π sin(2.50 πt ) vm=0.5 m/s
(c) y=0.20cos( πx )
y=0.20cos(2.50 πt−π )
7.The wave source is in simple harmonic motion, its wave equation is y=4.0×10-3cos ⁡(240 πt ),
when the unit of y is m and the unit of t is s, the generated wave travel along a straight line with
the speed of 30 m/s . (a) What are the period and wavelength? (b) What is the wave equation?
Answer:
(a) T=2 π /240 π =0.0083 s λ=vT=0.25m
(b) y=4.0×10-3cos ⁡240 π (t−x / 30)
8. A wave equation is y=0.05sin(10 π t-2x), where the unit of y and x is m and the unit of t is s. (a
What are the wavelength, frequency, wave speed and speed? (b) What is the meaning of the
equation when x=0 and draw graph to express.
Answer:
(a) Y=0.05cos2 π ¿(t/0.2-x/ π )- π /2]
λ= π m T=0.2s f=1/T=5Hz v=λ/T=5 π m/s
(b) y=0.05sin(10 π t)

9. A simple harmonic wave with the wavelength 12m travel alone the negative direction of x axis,
The figure 6.2 shows the oscillation curve of mass point at x=0 m, what is the wave equation of
the wave?

Answer:

A=0.4m y=0.4cos[2 π ( xλ + Tt )+ φ ¿
X=0 y=0.4cos(2 π ∙ t /T + φ¿
0.2=0.4cosφ 0=0.4cos(2 π ∙ 5/T +φ ¿
Φ =−π /3 T=12 s
y=0.4cos[2 π ( 12x + 12t )−π /3 ¿
（6.3 Superposition of wave and interference）
12. Two coherent wave sources are at point P and Q respectively. They emit two coherent waves
with frequency f, wavelength λ and the same initial phase. Assume PQ=3λ/2, R is a point on
the line PQ. (a) At point R, what is the phase difference of the two waves emitted from P and
Q; (b) At point R, what is the resultant amplitude of the interference of the two coherent
waves?
Answer:
(a) rP=xR rQ=xR-3λ/2 ∆ φ=2 π∨¿rP-rQ|/λ=3 π
(b) ¿rP-rQ|=3λ/2 A=|A1-A2|
(6.4 Sound Wave)
14. Find the intensity (in W/m2) of (a) a 55.0 dB sound, (b) a 92.0 dB sound, (c) a -2.0 dB sound.
Answer:
(a) β a=10log(Ia/I0)dB Ia=1.0×10-6.5 W/m2
(b) β b=10log(Ib/I0)dB Ib=1.0×10-2.8 W/m2
(c) β c=10log(Ic/I0)dB Ic=1.0×10-12.2 W/m2
16. (a) If two sounds differ by 5.00 dB, find the ratio of the intensity of the louder sound to that of
the softer one. (b) If one sound is 100 times as intense as another, by now much do they differ in
sound intensity level (in decibels) ? (c) If you increase the volume of your stereo so that the
intensity doubles, by how much does the sound intensity level increase?
Answer:
(a) β 1=10log(I1/I0)dB
β 2=10log(I2/I0)dB= β 1+5
β 1=10log(I2/I0)dB+log10-5=10log[(I2/I0)∙10-0.5]
I1/I0=(I2/I0)∙10-0.5 I2/I1=√ 10
(b) β 1=10log(100I2/I0)dB=20dB+10log(I2/I0)dB ∆ β=20 dB
(c) β =10log(2I/I0)dB=10log(I/I0)dB+10log2dB ∆ β=3.0 dB
(6.5 The Doppler Effect)
17. A person listening to a siren from a stationary police car observes the frequency and
wavelength of that sound. This person now moves rapidly towards the police car.
(a) The wavelength of the sound the person observes is shorter than it was, but the frequency
does not change.
(b) The frequency of the sound the person observes is higher than it was, but the wavelength
does not change.
(c) The wavelength of the sound the person observes is shorter than it was, and the frequency is
higher than it was.
Answer: (c)
19. A railroad train is traveling at 25.0 m/s in still air. The frequency of the note emitted by the
locomotive whistle is 400 Hz. What is the wavelength of the sound waves (a) in front of the
locomotive? (b) behind the locomotive? What is the frequency of the sound heard by a stationary
listener (c) in front of the locomotive? (d) behind the locomotive?
Answer:
(a) λ=(v-vs)/f=(340-25)/400=0.7875 m
(b) λ=(v+vs)/f=(340+25)/400=0.9125 m
(c) fL=vf/(v-vs)=340× 400/¿(340-25)=431.75Hz
(d) fL=vf/(v+vs)=340× 400/¿(340+25)=372.6 0Hz