Lecture 3

Ch16. Transverse Waves

University Physics: Waves and Electricity

Dr.-Ing. Erwin Sitompul
http://zitompul.wordpress.com
 Announcements

Quiz 1
Next Week
From Lecture1 until Lecture3

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/2

 Homework 2: Phase Differences
A sinusoidal wave of frequency 500 Hz has a speed of 350 m/s.
(a) How far apart are two points that differ in phase by π/3
rad?
(b) What is the phase difference between two displacements
at a certain point at times 1 ms apart?

New
A sinusoidal wave of wavelength 280 cm has a speed of 60 m/s.
(a) How many seconds apart are two displacements at a
certain point that differ in phase by 2π/3 rad?
(b) What is the phase difference between two displacements
at a certain time at distances 14 cm apart?

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/3

 Solution of Homework 2: Phase Differences
f  500 Hz, v  350 m s
v 350
(a)     0.7 m
f 500
x    3
 x  (0.7)  0.117  11.7 cm
 2 2 2

1 1
(b) T    0.002 s  2 ms
f 500
t  t 1 ms
    2  2   rad
T 2 T 2 ms

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 Example I
A wave traveling along a string is described by
y(x,t) = 0.00327sin(72.1x–2.72t),
in which the numerical constants are in SI units.
(a) What is u, the transverse velocity of the element of the
string, at x = 22.5 cm and t = 18.9 s?
x  22.5 cm, t  18.9 s
y ( x, t )  (3.27 mm) sin(72.1x  2.72t )
y ( x, t )
u ( x, t ) 
t
 (2.72 rad s)(3.27 mm) cos(72.1x  2.72t )
 (8.894 mm s) cos(72.1x  2.72t )

u (0.225 m,18.9 s)  ( 8.894 mm s) cos( 35.1855 rad)

 7.197 mm s

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/5

 Example I
A wave traveling along a string is described by
y(x,t) = 0.00327sin(72.1x–2.72t),
in which the numerical constants are in SI units.
(b) What is the transverse acceleration ay of the same element
of the spring at that time?
x  22.5 cm, t  18.9 s
u ( x, t )  (8.894 mm s) cos(72.1x  2.72t )
u ( x, t )
a y ( x, t ) 
t
 (2.72 rad s)(8.894 mm s)   sin(72.1x  2.72t ) 
 (24.192 mm s 2 ) sin(72.1x  2.72t )

a y (0.225 m,18.9 s)  (24.192 mm s 2 ) sin( 35.1855 rad)

 14.21mm s 2

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/6

 The Principle of Superposition for Waves
 It often happens that two or more
waves pass simultaneously through
the same region (sound waves in a
concert, electromagnetic waves
received by the antennas).
 Suppose that two waves travel
simultaneously along the same
stretched string, the displacement of
the string when the waves overlap is
then the algebraic sum.

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 The Principle of Superposition for Waves
 Let y1(x,t) and y2(x,t) be two waves travel simultaneously
along the same stretched string, then the displacement of the
string is given by:
y( x, t )  y1 ( x, t )  y2 ( x, t )

 Overlapping waves algebraically add to produce a resultant

wave (or net wave).
 Overlapping waves do not in any way alter the travel of each
other.

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/8

 Interference of Waves
 Suppose there are two sinusoidal waves of the same
wavelength and the same amplitude, and they are moving in
the same direction, along a stretched string.
 The resultant wave depends on the extent to which one wave
is shifted from the other.
 We call this phenomenon of combining waves as
interference.
y1 ( x, t )  ym sin(kx  t )
y2 ( x, t )  ym sin(kx  t   )

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/9

 Interference of Waves
 The resultant wave as the superposition of y1(x,t) and y2(x,t) of
the two interfering waves is:
y( x, t )  y1 ( x, t )  y2 ( x, t )
 ym sin(kx  t )  ym sin( kx  t   )
 2 ym sin(kx  t  12  ) cos( 12  )

y( x, t )  2 ym cos( 12  ) sin( kx  t  12  )

 The resultant sinusoidal wave – which is the result of an

interference – travels in the same direction as the two original
waves.

sin   sin   2sin 12 (   ) cos 12 (   )

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 Interference of Waves

Fully constructive Fully destructive Intermediate

interference interference interference
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 Checkpoint
Here are four possible phase differences between two identical
waves, expressed in wavelengths: 0.2, 0.45, 0.6, and 0.8.
Rank them according to the amplitude of the resultant wave,
greatest first.
Rank: 0.2 and 0.8 tie, 0.6, 0.45

1  2 radians  360 Amplitude  ym  2 ym cos( 12  )

  0.2  0.4 radians  72  cos( 12  72)  0.809

  0.45  0.9 radians  162  cos( 12 162)  0.156
  0.6  1.2 radians  216  cos( 12  216)  0.309
  0.8  1.6 radians  288  cos( 12  288)  0.809

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/12

 Example II
Two identical sinusoidal waves, moving in the same direction
along a stretched string, interfere with each other. The
amplitude ym of each wave is 9.8 mm, and the phase difference
Φ between them is 100°.
(a) What is the amplitude ym’ of the resultant wave due to the
interference, and what is the type of this interference?
ym  2 ym cos( 12  )  2(9.8 mm) cos( 12 100)  12.599 mm

The interference is intermediate, which can be deducted in

two ways:
1. The phase difference is between 0 and π radians.
2. The amplitude ym’ is between 0 and 2ym.

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/13

 Example II
Two identical sinusoidal waves, moving in the same direction
along a stretched string, interfere with each other. The
amplitude ym of each wave is 9.8 mm, and the phase difference
Φ between them is 100°.
(b) What phase difference, in radians and wavelengths, will
give the resultant wave an amplitude of 4.9 mm?
ym  2 ym cos( 12  )
x 
4.9 mm  2(9.8 mm) cos(  ) 1

 2
2
4.9 mm
cos( 2  )  
1
2.636
2(9.8 mm) x 
cos( 12  )  0.25 2
 0.420
1
2   1.3181 or 1.8235
  2.6362 or 3.6470
 0.420 wavelength
  2.636 rad
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 Standing Waves
 The following figures shows the superposition of two waves
of the same wavelength and amplitude, traveling in opposite
direction. • Where?
 There are places along the string, called nodes, where the
string never moves. Halfway between adjacent nodes, we
can see the antinodes, where the amplitude of the resultant
wave is a maximum. • Where?
 The resultant wave is called standing waves because the
wave pattern do not move left or right.

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/15

 Standing Waves

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 Standing Waves
 To analyse a standing wave, we represent the two combining
waves with the equations:
y1 ( x, t )  ym sin(kx  t )
y2 ( x, t )  ym sin(kx  t )

 The principle of superposition gives:

y( x, t )  y1 ( x, t )  y2 ( x, t )
 ym sin(kx  t )  ym sin(kx  t )
y( x, t )  2 ym sin kx  cos t

sin   sin   2sin 12 (   ) cos 12 (   )

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 Standing Waves

 For a standing wave, the amplitude 2ymsinkx varies with

position.
 For a traveling wave, the amplitude ym is the same for all
position.

0 x
N N N N

AN AN AN

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 Standing Waves
y( x, t )  2 ym sin kx  cos t

 In the standing wave, the amplitude is zero for values of kx

that give sinkx = 0.
kx  n , for n  0,1, 2,
 • Nodes
xn , for n  0,1, 2,
2

 In the standing wave, the amplitude is zero for values of kx

that give sinkx = ±1
kx  12  , 23  , 52  ,
kx  (n  12 ) , for n  0,1, 2, • Antinodes
 1
x   n   , for n  0,1, 2,
 2 2

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/19

 Standing Waves and Resonance
 Consider a string, such as a guitar
string, that is stretched between two
clamps.
 If we send a continuous sinusoidal
wave of a certain frequency along the
string, the reflection and interference
will produce a standing wave pattern
with nodes and antinodes like those in
the figure.
 Such a standing wave is said to be
produced at resonance. The string is
said to resonate at a certain resonant
frequencies.

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/20

 Standing Waves and Resonance
 For a string stretched between
two clamps, we note that a node
must exist at each of its end,
because each end is fixed and
cannot oscillate.
 The simplest patterns that meets
this requirement is a single-loop
standing wave, with two nodes
and one antinode.
 A second simple pattern is the
two loop pattern. This pattern
has three nodes and two
antinodes.
 A third pattern has four nodes,
three antinodes, and three loops

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/21

 Standing Waves and Resonance
 Thus, a standing wave can be set up on a string of length L
by a wave with a wavelength equal to one of the values:
2L
 , for n  1, 2,3,
n

 The resonant frequencies that correspond to these

wavelengths are:
v v
f  n , for n  1, 2,3,
 2L

 The last equation tells us that the resonant frequencies are

integer multiples of the lowest resonant frequency, f = v/2L,
for n = 1.
 The oscillation mode with the lowest frequency is called the
fundamental mode or the first harmonic.

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/22

 Standing Waves and Resonance
 The second harmonic is the oscillation mode with n = 2, the
third harmonic is that with n = 3, and so on.
 The collection of all possible
oscillation modes is called
the harmonic series.
 n is called the harmonic
number.

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/23

 Homework 3: Standing Waves
Two identical waves (except for direction of travel) oscillate
through a spring and yield a superposition according to the
equation
y  (0.50 cm) sin 
  
3
mm 1

x  cos (40 min 1 )t 
  

(a) What are the amplitude and speed of the two waves?
(b) What is the distance between nodes?
(c) What is the transverse speed of a particle of the string at
the position x = 1.5 cm when t = 9/8 s?

Erwin Sitompul University Physics: Wave and Electricity 3/24

 Homework 3: Standing Waves
New
Two identical waves (except for direction of travel) oscillate
through a spring and yield a superposition according to the
equation
y  (0.8 m) sin 3 cm 1  x  cos ( 18 s 1 )t 

(a) What are the amplitude and speed of the two waves?
(b) What is the distance between nodes?
(c) What is the transverse speed of a particle of the string at
the position x = 2.70 m when t = 0.25 min?

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