Oscillations and Waves

PHY255F

Robin Marjoribanks
McLennan Physics 1104C
marj@physics.utoronto.ca
 What makes this course
important?
Vibrations, oscillations and waves appear
in obvious and not-obvious places
they have an enormous impact on
understanding how things work in
astrophysics, thermal physics, quantum
mechanics, optics, condensed-matter
physics, mechanics, atmospheric and
planetary physics, etc., etc.
so it’s a basic literacy in physics
 Obvious oscillations
water waves
pendulums
stop sign in a strong wind
earthquakes
car springs, shock absorbers
surface of cup of coffee dragged on table
Oscillations of a bridge

QuickTime™ and a
YUV420 codec decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
 Less-obvious oscillations
musical instruments
guitar, piano; oboe, flute
suspension bridges
lasers
quartz-crystal electronic watches
radio antennae
fiber optics
car mufflers
 Music
same note, different timbre -- why?

recorder

harmonica
 Subtle oscillations
heat in a solid
structure of an atom
superconductivity
heat radiation
ozone protection
rings of Saturn
quantum mechanical zero-point energy
particles in string theory
 Rings of Saturn
Saturn’s rings
have
substructure,
including
bands, gaps
and radial
spokes...
 Topics
 phasor notation
 free, damped and forced harmonic oscillations
 resonance
 AC circuits
 coupled oscillators
 normal modes
 travelling waves
 wave equation, impedance
 transverse and longitudinal waves
 flow of energy in waves
 reflection and transmission at interfaces
 group and phase velocity
 dispersion
 Fourier series and Fourier transforms
 Approach
multiple resources
textbook
lectures
tutorials
office hours (professor & TA)
other texts
laboratory PHY225H
all are needed
each has particular advantages
 Lectures
will concentrate on what lectures do best
won’t just lead you through the textbook
will provide interaction and feedback that
books cannot
will provide demonstrations and
animations
lectures will depend on you having read
ahead also
 Textbook
The Physics of Vibrations and Waves,
(Sixth Edition), by H.J. Pain (Wiley,
2005)
5th ed. used in past; try to find used?
available from Amazon.com
 i-Clickers
we’ll be using the classroom response
system ‘i-Clickers’
I’ll ask a multiple-choice question, and
be able to poll your responses
you’ll be able to see the class’s response
these are available at the Bookstore, like
textbooks
 Contact
emails will be sent to your registered
U of T email address
may include problem set info,
corrections, class cancellation, room
changes, etc.
you’re responsible to check often
 Good extra resource
“Vibrations and Waves”, A.P. French
also used last year; try to find used
available from Amazon.com
this book is simpler, sometimes better for
an introduction
is relatively ‘lite’ compared to Pain
 Tutorials
TA: Jean-Sébastien Bernier
Mondays 10am, MP134
Tuesdays 10am MP137
solve example questions
review problem-set solutions
question-and-answer
 Office Hours
Professor Marjoribanks
Wednesdays 4–5 pm (OK?)
MP1104C
TA: J-S Bernier
for questions about marking, his office
times/day to be determined in tutorial
other questions, please ask in tutorial (or my
class office hours)
 Problem sets
Problem set due dates
Wed. 3 October
Wed. 17 October
Friday 9 November
Friday 23 November
Friday 7 December (firm deadline, no extensions)
please hand in to the marker’s drop-box directly
solutions posted on course web-site
late policy: 25% off per day for three days
zero, once solutions are posted (~3 days after)
 Marking scheme
Term work:
5 problems 25%
term test 25%
Final exam
final exam 50%
Total: 100%
 Comments on texts
The Physics of Vibrations and Waves, H.J. Pain
style is clear but not flowery, not too conversational
gets on with the subject matter
covers course material + numerous important Qs
supply of problems to solve is excellent
book is a ‘keeper’ as useful reference even afterwards
Vibrations and Waves, A.P. French
more conversational text
somewhat less rigorous in its structure
I find it less useful in learning the physics
has been a reliable teaching tool for long time,
 if you have problems with Pain’s style, try French
Midterm test – only impossibles
Mon 22 Tues 23 Wed 24 Thurs 25 Fri 26
9-10
10-11 tutorial tutorial PHY255F PHY255F
11-12
12-1pm
1-2
2-3
3-4 11 PHY485F PHY485F 5
4-5 20 7 12 Colloq. 7
5-6 9 8 9 6 √
6-7 9 14 20 16 √
7-8 6 15 20 20 1
8-9 5