MODULE INFORMATION AND WORK SCHEDULE PHYS 2614

OSCILLATIONS, WAVES AND OPTICS

Lecturer: Prof. R.E. Kroon (Room 109, Physics Building, tel. 051 401-2884 / 082 078-5236) First semester 2023

Module outline
This module is about oscillations and waves. It also includes physical optics which is the study of the wave nature of
light. Oscillations and waves occur in almost every physical system. Although the physical causes of oscillations and
waves may differ from one system to another, the same phenomena occur and the same mathematics is used to describe
these phenomena. It is therefore important that the physics student should understand the physical principles governing
oscillations and waves, and should become thoroughly acquainted with the mathematical description of these
phenomena.

Lectures
Lecture attendance is compulsory. Work done during class times will contribute to your semester mark.
Mondays 12h10 – 13h00 (FG116); Tuesdays 08h10 – 09h00 (FG116); Thursdays 12h10 – 13h00 (FG116)

Evaluation
1. Semester tests: You will write two semester tests of 50 min each. Both tests will be written during class time –
see the work schedule (subject to possible change) for the dates of the tests and what work will be covered. A third
test, covering the work of both previous tests, is scheduled near the end of the semester for any students who have
missed a semester test or who wish to try to improve their marks.

2. Semester mark: Only students who obtain a semester mark of at least 45% are admitted to write the exam. The
semester mark is calculated as follows:
o 20% of Assignments, including assignments done during class
o 40% of Semester test 1
o 40% of Semester test 2
o If the third Semester test is written, the best two Semester test marks will be used

3. Examination: One examination paper of 3 hours will be written. The examination timetable will be made available
later by the University.

4. Final mark: The final mark is calculated as follows:

o 50% of Semester mark
o 50% of Examination mark

To pass the module, you need a Final mark of at least 50% as well as an Examination mark of at least of 40%.

Study material
This module does not use a prescribed textbook, but is based on notes (PDF provided on Blackboard – it is suggested
that students print and bind a copy for easy reference). No other books are required, but the following textbooks from
the library are suggested for students who wish to seek additional information or background:
o The physics of vibrations and waves (by Pain) [531.1133PAI]
o Vibrations and waves (by Gough, Richards and Williams) [531.1133GOU]
o Vibration (by Bishop) [620.3BIS]
o Waves and oscillations (by Crawford) [531.32CRA]
o Mechanical vibration (by van Santen) [531.32SAN]
o Vibrations and waves (by French) [531.32FRE]
o Theoretical mechanics (by Spiegel) [531SPI]
o Optics (by Hecht and Zajac) [535HEC]
Work schedule (subject to change)
Date Work covered May be skipped or discussed in class
for necessary background, continuity
or interest, but not covered in tests
20 Feb (Mon) Sections 1.1 – 1.3 Trigonometry and manipulating graphs, periodicity and parity.
21 Feb (Tue) Sections 1.4 – 1.6 Taylor series, small value approximations, complex numbers and the
complex exponential function, hyperbolic functions, partial derivatives.
23 Feb (Thu) Sections 2.1 – 2.3 Equations of motion for constant acceleration, equations of motion for
time-varying acceleration.
27 Feb (Mon) Sections 2.4 – 2.5 Equations of motion for position and velocity dependent accelerations.
28 Feb (Tue) Sections 3.1-3.2 Free fall with viscous drag. Sections 3.3-3.4
2 Mar (Thu) Sections 4.1 – 4.2 Hooke’s law and how it leads to simple harmonic motion (SHM), angular
frequency, amplitude and phase constant of SHM. Plot of velocity versus position.
6 Mar (Mon) Sections 4.3 – 4.6 Physics quantities (period, frequency, energy) of SHM, vertical
oscillations, effect of mass of spring, rotational oscillations.
7 Mar (Tue) Sections 5.2 and 5.4 – 5.5 Oscillation of pendulums, combination of springs, elongation of a Sections 5.1 and 5.3
rod (Young’s modulus).
9 Mar (Thu) Sections 5.6, 5.8 – 5.9 Twisting of a rod, bending of beams, vibration of diatomic molecules. Sections 5.7, 5.10– 5.14
13 Mar (Mon) Section 6.1 Different mathematical forms of expressing SHM and how to convert between
them.
14 Mar (Tue) Section 6.2 Adding oscillations: same frequency, different frequencies (beats), adding
perpendicularly (Lissajous figures).
16 Mar (Thu) Sections 7.1 – 7.2.1 SHM with damping, general solution and motion of undercritical case.
20 Mar (Mon) Sections 7.2.2 – 7.5 Energy of undercritical damping, relaxation time, logarithmic decrement, Part (d) of section 7.2.3 on: Fraction of
quality factor. Overcritical and critical damping. Comparison of motion of different types of energy lost per oscillation
damping.
21 Mar (Tue) Public holiday
23 Mar (Thu) Sections 8.1 and 8.3 The sinusoidally driven oscillator and its steady-state solution using Section 8.2
complex exponentials.
27 Mar (Mon) Recess
28 Mar (Tue) Recess
30 Mar (Thu) Recess
3 Apr (Mon) Sections 8.4, 8.6 Effect of the driving frequency on amplitude and phase constant, resonance. Sections 8.5, 8.7 – 8.8
The transient and complete solution.
4 Apr (Tue) Section 9.5 Approach of solving non-sinusoidally driven systems using Fourier series. Sections 9.1-9.4
Calculation of the Fourier series of periodic functions. Note that sections 9.1-9.4 describe the Chapter 10
method
6 Apr (Thu) Sections 11.1 – 11.3 Derivation of the wave equation for a string. Interpretation of equation
for energy carried by a wave on a string in terms of kinetic/potential energy (but not
derivation).
10 Apr (Mon) Public holiday
11 Apr (Tue) SEMESTER TEST 1: CHAPTERS 1-7
13 Apr (Thu) Section 11.4 The solution of the wave equation and its interpretation.
17 Apr (Mon) Section 11.5 – 11.7 Reflection and transmission of waves and the concept of impedance. Sections 11.5.3, 11.7.2 and 11.7.3.
18 Apr (Tue) Section 12.1 Sinusoidal waves (wavenumber and wavelength) and their reflection and Sections 12.1.4, 12.1.6
transmission, energy. Polarization. Note that a qualitative understanding of the concept of
coherence (section 12.1.6, figure 64) is required for later work, but will not be tested.
20 Apr (Thu) Section 12.2.1 Standing waves. Sections 12.2.2 – 12.2.4 and 12.3
24 Apr (Mon) Section 13.1 – 13.2 Examples of waves in solids. Derivations of the wave equations will not Section 13.2.3.
be tested. Concentrate on identifying the different possible types of waves that can occur in
different situations and how they compare to one another, as summarized by the table in
section 13.2.5.
25 Apr (Tue) Section 13.3.1-13.3.2 Examples of waves in fluids. You must be able to do the derivations in Section 13.3.3.
section 13.3.2 (speed of sound).
27 Apr (Thu) Public holiday
1 May (Mon) Public holiday
2 May (Tue) Section 13.4 Huygens principle and the refraction of waves. Section 13.5
4 May (Thu) Section 13.6 Electromagnetic waves in vacuum and insulators, polarisation and Second part of section 13.6.5: Fresnel’s
transmission/reflectance at normal incidence equations
8 May (Mon) Section 14.1 – 14.3 Reflection from a single interface and a thin film.
9 May (Tue) Section 14.4 – 14.5 Conditions for constructive and destructive interference, practical
examples, reason for “thin” films (coherence)
11 May (Thu) Sections 15.1-15.2 Theory of Michelson interferometer.
15 May (Mon) Sections 15.3 Applications of Michelson interferometer. Only a qualitative understanding of Section 15.4
section 15.4 is required to explain the regions where the bands are clear or not clear.
16 May (Tue) SEMESTER TEST 2: CHAPTERS 8-13
18 May (Thu) Sections 16.1 – 16.3 Two point interference and Young’s double slit experiment. Note that
the mathematical analysis of calculating the exact path difference in section 16.2 is not
required, but the result Γ = 𝑑 sin 𝜃 motivated by a geometrical argument and its
consequences are very important.
22 May (Mon) Sections 17.1 – 17.2 N-point interference and the theory of the diffraction grating, influence
of number of slits on minima and maxima
23 May (Tue) Section 17.3 – 17.5 Dispersion and resolving power using Rayleigh’s criterion.
25 May (Thu) Sections 18.1 – 18.4 Diffraction through a single slit, minima and maxima
29 May (Mon) Sections 18.5 – 18.8 Qualitative description of diffraction effects on double slit and N-slit Section 18.9
interference, rectangular opening & circular opening. Application of equation for minima for Chapter 19
diffraction through a circular opening.
30 May (Tue) SEMESTER TEST 3: CHAPTERS 1-13 (both previous tests)
1 Jun (Thu) Revision