PHYSICS FORMULAE & DEFINITIONS

WAVE MOTION 12. n1 l1 = n2 l2 if T, m are constants.

I. Formulae in this chapter: - 13. Beat frequency = difference in frequencies
1. The velocity of sound wave v = n  where = n1 – n2
n is frequency and  is wavelength. II. Doppler effect: -
1. General formula for apparent frequency :
2. Equation of plane progressive wave
 V  W  VO 
y  A sin t    n1 =  n
 V  W  VS 
2
(i) y = A sin  vt  x  Here n – Original frequency of sound
 V – Velocity of sound in air
2  t x  W – Velocity of wind
(ii) y = A sin    Vo – Velocity of the observer
 T  
Vs – Velocity of source of sound
y – displacement x – position at time t
2. Sign convention
A – amplitude V – velocity of wave
(i) Source moving towards observer = (- Vs)
 - wavelength T – time period (ii) Source moving away = (+ Vs)
3. Maximum Particle velocity v = A  (iii) Observer moving towards source = (+Vo)
A – amplitude ,  – angular velocity (iv) Observer moving away = (-Vo)
 - phase difference   kx (v) If air moves in direction of sound(V+W)
(vi) If air moves in opposite direction(V– W)
2
4. Propagation constant K = 3. Source moving towards stationary observer

1  V 
 (Vo = 0), n   n
5. V=
T
(T – time period)  V  Vs 
6. Velocity of transverse wave in stretched 4. Source moving away from stationary
observer
T
string V = . T – tension in string  V 
m 1
(Vo = 0) , n   n
m – mass per unit length or linear density  V  Vs 
7. Frequency of string in one loop = 5. Observer moving towards stationary source
1 T 1  V  Vo 
fundamental frequency n = (Vs = 0) , n   n
2l m  V 
l – length of string
6. Observer moving away from stationary
p T
8. For p loops frequency n1 = 1  V Vo 
2l m source (Vs = 0) n   n
n1 = p x n
 V 
9. Over tone = harmonic + 1 7. Source and observer moving towards each
other Vs, Vo
1 1n T
10. n T if l, m are constants n2  T2  V  Vo 
n1   n
1 n1 m2  V Vs 
11. n if T, l are constants n  m
m 2 1

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8. Source (Vs) and observer (Vo) moving T1 – reverberation time without material
T2 – reverberation time with material
1  V  Vo  a o – absorbtion coefficient of walls of
away from each other n   n
 V  Vs  chamber
s – surface area of walls , V–volume of
(i) Source (Vs) moving towards observer
chamber
(Vo) , observer moving away from source,
V. Sabine’s formula:
 V  Vo  The reverberation time T is:
n1   n
 V  Vs  0.17V
9. Sour ce (Vs) moving away from 1. T=
observer(Vo) ; observer moving towards
 as
source V – volume of enclosure
a – absorbtion coefficient ,
 V  Vo  s – surface area
n1   n
 V  Vs 
0.17V
10. If both are at rest there is no change in 2. T=
A
frequency
2d
A – total absorbtion , A =  as
III. Echos: (a) time of echo t = . VI. Concepts:
V
d – distance of obstacle from which echo is 1. When sound travels from one medium to
heard , V – velocity of sound in air other frequency remains constant
b) Shortest distance to hear an echo 2. We can hear sound of frequencies between
20Hz to 20000Hz called audible range
V If frequency < 20Hz it is infrasonics
d= where V is velocity of sound in air
20 If frequency > 20000Hz it is ultrasonics
(t = 0.1 s)
3. The characteristics of sound waves are
IV. Absorption coefficient: (a) Amplitude (b) Phase
The absorbtion coefficient of a surface a is (c) Time period (d) Frequency
Es (e) Wavelength (f) Intensity
a= .
Ew 4. If distance is  phase difference is 2  rad
Es – sound energy absorbed by surface
2 x
Ew – sound energy absorbed by open If distance is x phase difference is  =
window equal area in same time 
1. For materials in form of sheets x is called path difference.
5. Distance between a node and immediate
4 i1 i2
a 
(i1  i2 ) 2 antinodes is and distance between any 2
4
i1 – current at antinode , i2 – current at node
(This method is called stationary wave 
successive nodes or antinodes is
method). 4
2. Reverberation - time method: - 6. Stationary waves cannot transfer energy and
all particles within a loop are in phase
0.17V 1 1
a=
s  T  T   a0
 2 1
PHYSICS FORMULAE & DEFINITIONS
7. The no. of beats heard per second is called
beat frequency and cannot be recognized 9. If one of the prongs of a tuning fork is loaded
by human ear if it exceeds 10. It is the with wax its frequency decreases.
difference of two frequencies.  n = n1 - n2 10. On filing one of the prongs of a tuning fork
its frequency increases.
8. The human ear cannot distinguish between
two sounds if it reaches it within a time 11. The reflection of sound from obstacle is
interval of 0.1s called persistence of hearing called echo
12. Echo and original sound have same frequency
1 1 but differ in intensity.
 t = n  10  0.1s
13. Echoes are heard from reflecting surfaces
or buildings, surface of water in a well,
surface of mountain or cliff.

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