PH – Waves & Sound - 27

SOLVED SUBJECTIVE PROBLEMS

Problem 1. One end of each of two identical springs, each of force constant 0.5 N/m are attached on the opposite
sides of wooden block of mass 0.01 kg. The other ends of the springs are connected to separate rigid
supports such that the springs are unscratched and are collinear in a horizontal plane. To the wooden
piece is fixed a pointer which touches a vertically moving plane paper. The wooden piece kept on a
smooth horizontal table is now displaced by 0.02 m along the line of springs and released. If the speed
of the paper, perpendicular to the springs’ length, is 0.1 m/s, find the equation of the path traced by the
pointer on the paper and the distance between two consecutive maxima on this path.

Solution : The effective force constant of the spring system is 2 k (since they constitute a parallel combination).
The angular frequency of simple harmonic oscillation is

2K 2  0.5
   10 rad/s
m 0.01
The amplitude A  0.02 m
The speed of the paper may be assumed as the speed of m
wave-propagators and the curve traced on the paper can be
represented by the equation
y  A sin  t  kx 

v v 2v
The wavelength    
f  / 2 

2  10
 k    100
 v 0.1
Substituting the value in (i), we get the required equation of the path
y   0.02 m  sin 10t  100x 
The distance between the two consecutive maxima is the wavelength
2v 2 0.1
 
 10
 0.0628 m .

Problem 2. A uniform rope of mass 0.1 kg and length 2.45 m hangs from the ceiling.
(a) Find the speed of transverse wave in the rope at a point 0.5 m distance from the lower end.
(b) Calculate the time taken by a transverse wave to travel the full length of the rope.
Solution : (a) The speed of the transverse wave is given by
T
v , where T  tension and   linear mass density

At a distance x from the free end of the rope, the tension
T  xg
xg
 v  xg …(i)

Here x  0.15 m, g  9.8 m/s 2
 v  0.5 m  . 9.8 m/s 2 
 2.21 m/s
PH – Waves & Sound - 28

(b) The speed of the wave at a distance x from the free end is
dx
v  xg {from (i)}
dt
1 dx
or, dt 
g x
t 
1 dx 
Integrating over the whole length of the rope, t   dt   2
0 g 0 x g

2.45
2  1 s.
9.8

Problem 3. A wave pulse starts propagating in the +x direction along a non-uniform wire of length 10 m with
mass per unit length given by   0  x and under a tension of 100 N. Find the time taken by a pulse
to travel from the lighter end (x = 0) to the heavier end.   0  102 kg/m and  =g  10-3 kg/m 2 

Solution : The speed of the wave pulse

T T dx
v  
 0  x dt
t 
 0  x
 t   dt   dx
0 0 T

2 1  3/ 2 3/ 2
   0      0  
3 T 
substituting the values, we get
2 1 102  9 1010 10 3 / 2  10 2 3 / 2 
t 
3 9  10  100 
3 

2  100  3 / 2 3
 10   10    0.227s .
27 

Problem 4. When a train is approaching the observer, the frequency of the whistle is 100 cps. When it has passed
the observer, it is 500 cps. Calculate the frequency when the observer moves with the train.
Solution : When the source (the train) moves towards the observer, the apparent frequency is
v
f f …(i)
v  vs

v
while the source is moving away, the apparent frequency f   f …(ii)
v  vs

f  v  vs
 
f  v  vs
 PH – Waves & Sound - 29

v 
  1
100 2  vs 
or  
50 1  v 
  1
 vs 
v
or 3 …(iii)
vs

When the observer moves with the train, there is no relative motion between the source and the
observe and hence he will listen the true frequency f . Substituting (iii) in (i), we get

3
100  f
2
200
or f   66.6 Hz.
3

Problem 5. When 0.98 m long metallic wire is stressed, an extension of 0.02 m is produced. An organ pipe 0.5 m
long and open at both ends, when sounded with this stressed metallic wire, produces 8 beats in its
fundamental mode. By decreasing the stress in the wire, the frequency of beats is found to decrease.
Find the Young’s modulus of the wire. The density of metallic wire is 104 kg/m3 and speed of sound in
air is 292 m/s.
Solution : Frequency of the transverse vibration of the stretched string in
1 T
f1  , …(i)
2  L  L  

T L YAL
Here Y , or T  , and   A
A L L

1 Y L
 f1  …(ii)
2  L  L  L

when the stress in the wire is decreased, f1 will decrease, consequently the beat frequency will
decrease if f1  f pipe

 f1  f pipe  8

1 Y L v
or  8
2  L  L  L 2

Substituting the value, we get

1 Y  0.02 292
 8
2  0.98  0.02  0.98 10h4 2  0.5

Simplifying, we get
Y  1.764  1011 N/m 2

Problem 6. The fundamental frequency of a sonometer wire increases by 6 Hz if its tension is increased by 44%
keeping the length constant. Find the change in the fundamental frequency of the sonometer wire when
the length of the wire is increased by 20% keeping the original tension in the wire.
PH – Waves & Sound - 30

Solution : Fundamental frequency of sonometer wire is

1 T
f 
2L 

when length L is constant, f  T

 f k T
1
or log f  log k  log T
2
f 1 T
Differentiations, 
f 2 T

T
Given that f  6 Hz, =0.44
T
6  2 300
 f   Hz
0.44 11
k
Next, when T is constant and length is changed, f   kL1
L
log f  log k  log L

f L
Differentiating, 
f L

 L  20 300
 f     f    = -5.5 Hz
 L  100 11
 The fundamental frequency of sonometer wire will decrease by 5.5 Hz

Problem 7. Two metallic strings A and B of different materials are connected in series forming a joint. The strings
have equal cross-sectional area. The length of A is  A  0.3m and that of B is  B  0.75m . One end of
the combined string is tied with a support rigidly and the other end is loaded with a block of mass m
passing over a frictionless pulley. Transverse waves are set up in the combined string using an
external sources of variable frequency. Calculate
(a) Lowest of frequency for which standing waves are observed such that the joint is a node,
(b) The total number of antinodes at this frequency.
The densities of A and B are 6.3  103 kg/m3 and 2.8  103 kg/m3 respectively.

Solution : (a) Let p and q be the number of loops formed in A and B

p T
 nA  , and
2 A A A

q T
nB 
2 B A B
nA p  B  B
  . .  1 nA  nB 
nB q  A  A
 PH – Waves & Sound - 31

p  A  A 0.03 6.3 5
 . .  
q  B B 0.75 2.8 3

 the ratio of the number of loops

p 3 6 9
 , , ,....
q 5 10 5

for the lowest frequency,

p 3

q 5

this means that A will have 3 loops and B will have 5 loops. Hence the required minimum
frequency

3 T 5 T
f min  
2 A A A 2B AB

3 mg
or f min 
2  0.3 A  6.3 103
m
 .
25.7A
(b) the total number of antinodes at this minimum frequency is 3+5 = 8
Problem 8. A source S emitting sound of 300 Hz is fixed on block A S D
which is attached to free end of a spring S A as shown A B
in the figure. The detector D fixed on block B attached SA SB
to the free end of spring SB detects this sound.
The blocks A and B are simultaneously displaced towards each other through a distance of 1.0 m and
then left to vibrate. Find the maximum and minimum frequencies of sound detected by D of the
vibrational frequency of each block is 2 Hz. (velocity of sound = 340 m/s)
Solution : The motion of A and B is synchronized. Hence the maximum and minimum frequencies detected by D
will be
 v  vD 
f max    f,
 v  vS 
(when S and D are approaching each other while at their equilibrium position.)
 340  A 
 f
 340  A 
 340  12.56 
   300
 340  12.56 
 323 Hz
Similarly, the apparent frequency will be minimum when the source and the detector recede from each
other with maximum speed ( = A)
 v  A 
 f min   . f
 v  A 
 340  12.56 
   300
 340  12.56 
=278.6 Hz
PH – Waves & Sound - 32

Problem 9. Determine the speed of sound in a gas in which two wavelengths of 1m and 1.01 m respectively
produce 10 beats in 3 s.
Solution : Let the speed of sound = V. The corresponding frequencies are
v v
f1   Hz, and
1 1
v v
f2   Hz
 2 1.01

 f1  f 2 , the beat frequency (or the number of beats per second) will be

10
f1  f 2  Hz
3
v v 10
or  
1 1.01 3
1010
or v = 336.67 m/s
3

Problem 10. The frequency of sound produced by a bell is 500 Hz. The velocity of the source relative to still air is
60 m/s. An observer moves at 30 m/s along the same line as the source. Calculate the frequency of
sound wave measured by the observer. Consider all the possible cases (speed of sound v = 340 m/s)
vs v0
Solution : 
Source 
Observer
Case (i) let the observer at right side of the source. Both source and observe is moving in right
direction. There will be apparent increase in frequency because Vsource  Vobserver

V  Vobserver 
f   f0  s  Hz
 Vs  Vsource 

 340  30 
 500   Hz  550Hz
 340  60 
Case (ii) Source is moving right and observer is moving left
Source Observer
   

There will be apparent increase in frequency since both are moving towards each other.
V  Vobserver 
f   f0  s  Hz
 Vs  Vsource 

 340  30 
 500   Hz
 340  60 
 660Hz (more than that as in case (i))
Case (iii) Both source and observer is receding from each other.
Source Observer
   

There will be an apparent decrease in frequency

V  Vobserver 
f   f0  s  Hz
 Vs  VSource 
 PH – Waves & Sound - 33

 340  30 
 500   Hz
 340  60 
= 387.5 Hz.
Case (iv) Both source and observer is moving towards left.
Source Observer
   

V  Vobserver 
f   f0  S 
 VS  VSource 

 340  30 
 500   Hz = 462.5 Hz.
 340  60 
You should repeat the example assuming that the observer is to the left to the source. What conclusions
can be derived from the this example? Do you get a different set of four apparent frequencies

Problem 11. An un-stretched spring has a length of 1.0 m and a mass of 0.2 kg. When a body of mass 2 kg is hung
from the spring it stretches 3 cm. Determine the velocity of longitudinal wave along the spring.
F
Solution : The spring constant or force constant of the spring k 
L
 0.2 kg/m. Hence the velocity of the longitudinal wave along the spring in

kL 66.67 1.0
v   18.26 m/s
 0.2

Problem 12. Given the equation for a wave on a string

y  0.03sin  3 x  2t  ,

where y and x are in meters and t is in seconds.

(a) At t  0, what are the values of the displacement at x = 0, 0.1 m, 0.2 m and 0.3 m ?
(b) At x  0.1m, what are the values of the displacements at t = 0, 0.1s and 0.2 s ?
(c) What is the equation for the velocity of oscillation of the particles of the string ?
(d) What is the maximum velocity of oscillation ?
(e) what is the velocity of propagation of the wave ?
Solution : (a) At t  0, y   0.03sin 3 x  m
for , x = 0, y  0.03 sin (0) = 0

x  0.01m, y  0.03sin  0.3rad 

 0.3 180 
 0.03sin  
  
 0.03  sin 17.2 
 0.03  0.2957  8.87 10 3 m
Similarly for x  0.2 m, y  0.03sin  0.6 rad 
 1.69  10 2 m
and for x  0.3 m, y  0.03sin  0.9 rad 
 2.35  10 2 m.
PH – Waves & Sound - 34

(b) At x  0.1m, y = 0.03 sin (0.3 – 2t)

At t  0, y = 0.03 sin (0.3 radian) = 8.87  10-3m
t  0.1 s, y  0.03sin  0.3  0.2 
 0.03sin  0.1 rad 
 2.99  10 3 m
t  0.2 s, y  0.03sin  0.3  0.4 
 2.99  10 3 m

(c) Velocity of particle,

dy d
 0.03sin  3 x  2t  
dt dt 
 0.6cos  3 x  2t 

 6 102 cos  3 x  2t  m/s

(d) Maximum velocity or the velocity amplitude

 6  10 2 m/s
(e) Comparing y  0.03sin  3 x  2t  with the wave equation y  A sin  kx  t  ,

2
we have k   3, and   2f  2

 2
 v  f    0.667 m/s .
k 3
Problem 13. A train approaching a railway crossing at a speed of 120 km/h sounds a short whistle at frequency 640
Hz when it is 300 m away from the crossing. The speed of sound in air is 340 m/s. What will be the
frequency heard by a person standing on a road perpendicular to the track through the crossing at a
distance of 400 m from the crossing?
Solution: The observer A is at rest with respect to the
air and the source is traveling at a velocity of
300m C
100
120 km/h i.e., m/s . As is clear from the 
3
figure, the person receives the sound of the
whistle in a direction BA making an angle 400m
 with the track where
cos   300 / 500  3 / 5 . The component of
the velocity of the source (i.e., of the train).
Along this direction A (person)
100 3
AB is  m/s = 20 m/s. As the source is approaching the person with this component, the
3 5
frequency heard by the observer is
 340
v  v  640 Hz = 680 Hz.
  u cos  340  20

Problem 14. A wave yi  ai sin ( x / C1  t ) reached the boundary of media 1 and 2, at which it is partly reflected
into medium 1 and partly transmitted into medium 2. Call these waves yr  ar sin ( x / C1  t ) and
 PH – Waves & Sound - 35

yt  at sin ( x / C2  t ) , respectively. Assuming that at the boundary the displacement arising from the
transmitted wave, show that ai  ar  at . Further, assuming that the slope of the displacement wave at
the boundary of medium 1 is equal to the slope of the displacement wave at the boundary of medium 2,
show that
ar C1  C2

ai C1  C2

Solution: The wave in medium 1 is given by

 x   x 
y1  yi  yr  ai sin    t   ar sin    t 
 C1   C1 
 x 
and that in medium 2 is y2  yt  at sin   t 
 C2 
At the boundary x  0, y1  y2

 ai sin(t )  ar sin t  at sin(t )

or ai  at  ar ( sin t  0)
 dy1    x    x 
 dx   ai C cos   C  t   ar C cos   C  t 
  2  1  1  1 
dy1   x 
 at cos   t
dx C2  C2 
dy1 dy2
At the boundary x  0 
dx dx
ai  a a
 cos t  r cos t  t cos t
C1 C1 C2
ai  ar a a  ar
or  t  i ( ai  ar  at )
C1 C2 C2
ar C1  C2
or  .
ai C1  C2

Problem 15. A metallic rod of length 1 m is rigidly clamped at its mid-point. Longitudinal stationary waves are set
up in the rod in such a way that there are two nodes on either sides of mid-point. The amplitude of
antinode is 2  10 6 m. Write the equation of motion at a point 2 cm from the mid-point and those of the
constituent waves in the rod. (Young’s modulus = 2  1011 Nm 2 , density = 8000 kg m3 ).
Solution: Figure shows the longitudinal displacement y as a y Mid-point
function of x from x = 0 to x = L, where L is length of
the rod.
We know that the separation from a node and the next O A A x
A A A A
 N N N N N
antinode is and that between two consecutive nodes
4 L

or antinodes is . Therefore
2

      5
L      
4 2 2 2 2 4 2
PH – Waves & Sound - 36

Here  is the wavelength of either of the interfering waves. Thus

2L 2  1
   0.4 m
5 5
The speed of longitudinal waves in a metal of Young’s modulus Y and density  is given by
1/ 2
Y  2 1011  1
v    5000ms
  8000 
v 5000
 Frequency    12500 Hz.
 0.4
Notice from figure that there is an antinode at the ends x  0 and x  L of the rod. Hence the equation
of the stationary wave is (here A is the amplitude of each of the interfering waves)
 2x 
y  2 A cos   sin(2vt ) …(i)
  
At any instant of time, the amplitude is given by
 2x 
A( x)  2 A cos   …(ii)
  
At x  0 , there is an antinode, i.e. A(0)  2 106 m (given). Putting x  0 in Eq. (ii) we have
A(0)  2  106 m  2 A
or A  1  10 6 m . Putting values of A,  and  in Eq. (i) we get
 2x 
y  2 106 cos   sin(2 12500  t )
 0.4 
or y  2 106 cos(5 x) sin (25000 t ) …(iii)
where x and y are in metre and t in seconds. For a point at a distance of 2 cm from the mid-point, the
value of x is
x = 50 cm + 2 cm = 52 cm = 0.52 m
using this value of x in Eq. (iii), the required equation of motion at a point 2 cm from the mid-point is
y  2 106 cos(5  0.52) sin (25000 t )
 2 106 cos(2.6 ) sin (25000 t )
or y  2 106 cos(0.6 ) sin (25000 t )
The equations of the constituent waves (incident wave and reflected wave) in the rod are
y1  1106 sin 5 p(5000t  x) and y2  1 106 sin 5 p(5000t  x) .