Lecture - 4 - Wave Motion

2.
Wave Motion
Waves & Particles are important concepts in
Classical Physics.
Almost every branch of Physics is associated with
one or the other.
Particle: concentration of matter capable of

transmitting energy.
Wave: A broad distribution of energy filling the
space through which it passes
What is a wave?
A wave is a disturbance or variation which travels
through a medium.
The medium through which the wave travels may
experience some local oscillations as the wave
passes, but the particles in the medium do not
travel with the wave.
The disturbance may take any of a number of

shapes, from a finite width pulse to an infinitely
long sine wave.
Mechanical Waves: Needs material medium
governed by Newton’s laws.
The speed of the wave depends on the
properties of the medium.
Electromagnetic Waves: Require no material medium.

Governed by Maxwell’s equations.
Speed is a constant. c=2.99x108m/s
Interference, Diffraction…..
Quantum Mechanically…..
Particle  Wave
Particles have wave like properties.

Wave Particle duality
Wave Pulses (finite width pulse)
The medium is disturbed for a short period
String wave pulse
Air Molecules
People
If the medium is continuously disturbed

periodically an infinitely long wave would be
generated. Sinusoidal wave could be generated
by disturbing the medium simple
harmonically.
Longitudinal and Transverse
Longitudinal Wave: As the wave passes through,

the particles in the air oscillate back and forth about
their equilibrium positions but it is the disturbance
which travels, not the individual particles in the
medium.
Transverse waves: The particles in the medium
are displaced up and down as the wave travels from
left to right, but the individual particles do not
experience any net motion.
Longitudinal Wave
Transverse Wave
Longitudinal + Transverse
The following waves are combinations of both
Water Waves: As a wave travels through the water, the particles

travel in clockwise circles. The radius of the circles decreases as the
depth into the water increases.
Rayleigh Surface Waves in Solids: In a Rayleigh surface wave,

particles at the surface trace out a counter-clockwise ellipse, while
particles at a depth of more than 1/5th of a wavelength trace out
clockwise ellipses.
Water Waves
Rayleigh Surface
Waves in Solids
Waves in a solid medium
A disturbance in a solid medium
Faster longitudinal wave
Slower transverse wave. Eight legs of the scorpion spread

roughly in a circle of ~5cm,
intercepting the longitudinal wave
first direction of the beetle.
Sensing the time difference between
the two waves
Distance to the beetle.
Seismic waves
Epicenter of the earthquake
Mathematical Representation
A wave can have many shapes but fundamental
to each shape is:
Wavelength( )
Frequency (f)
sd
In General.
y(x,t) = h(x,t).
For a sinusoidal wave

y( x , t )  y m sin ( k x   t )
Why Sinusoidal? Fourier Analysis
Any periodic function can be obtained by Fourier series
 
f ( x )  21 a 0   a n cos ( nx )   bn sin ( nx )
n 1 n 1
Example: Fourier series for the sawtooth wave can

be written as:
1 1 1 1
y( t )   sin t  sin 2t  sin 3t  sin 4t
 2 3 4
Fourier Analysis
Displacement as a function of x
y( x , t )  y m sin ( k x   t )
At a given time, t=0 for example: y( x , 0 )  y m sin k x

By the definition of  , y is same at x1 and x1+  .
y ( x ,0 )  ym sin k x1  ym sin k ( x1   )
 ym sin ( kx1  k )
This is true when k  2 k - angular wave number
1 k
The wave number K  
 2
Displacement as a function of t
At a given point, x=0 for example
y( 0 , t )  y m sin ( t )   y m sin ( t )
If T is the period, y is same at
t = t1 and t = t1 + T

y( 0 , t )   ym sin ( t 1 )   ym sin  ( t 1  T )
 T  2
2
Angular frequency  
T
1 
Frequency f  
T 2
The speed of a traveling (or progressive) wave
Consider two “snap-
shots” of a wave as
shown in the figure.
x dx
The speed of the wave v
t

dt
y is same for all points with the same phase,

dx dx 
kx  t  Cons tan t  k    0  v  dt  k
dt

k  2 
2
T
 v   f
T
For a wave along the positive x direction
y( x , t )  y m sin ( k x   t )
For a wave along the negative x direction
y( x , t )  y m sin ( k x   t )
The general form of a traveling wave can be written as
y( x , t )  h( kx  t )
We can study the properties of waves by
using a ripple tank.
Paddle
vibrates
to
produce
waves.
wavefronts
A ripple
tank
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripple_tank
produces
water waves
that can be
reflected,
refracted
and
diffracted.
Rectilinear Propagation
Rectilinear Propagation for Straight Waves
• Straight waves are produced by periodically

dipping a long straight edge probe into the
water.
• For straight waves, the path of two points
show that the direction of propagation of
the advancing straight wave which is
perpendicular to the wave front.
Rectilinear Propagation for Circular Waves
• Circular waves are created by periodically

dipping a pointed probe into the water.
• The direction of propagation of the two
segments of the advancing circular wave lie
along radial lines away from the center of
disturbance.
Reflection of Straight Waves
• Case 1: The wave fronts are parallel to the
boundary.
• In this case, both the direction of
propagation of the incident waves and the
reflected waves will lie perpendicular to the
surface of the barrier.
Straight Waves continued
• Case 2: The barrier is
turned at an angle to the
incident waves
Free end termination
• A wave crest is reflected back as a wave
crest and a trough as a trough during free
end termination reflection. This occurs
when the reflecting medium is less dense
than the medium in which the waves are
traveling.
Free end termination diagram
Fixed end termination reflection
• Reflection from a fixed end occurs with a
180 degree phase shift. That is, a crest will
reflect back as a trough and a trough as a
crest. This occurs when the reflecting
medium is more dense than the medium in
which the wave is traveling.
Fixed end reflection diagram
Refraction
• The properties of the medium through

which a certain wave disturbance travels
determines the propagation speed of that
disturbance.
• Traveling waves passing from one medium
into another experience a change of speed at
the interface (boundary) of the two
materials.
Waves
traveling from
deep to shallow
water
Waves traveling
from deep to
shallow water at
an angle
Where:
VL1 is the longitudinal wave
velocity in material 1.
VL2 is the longitudinal wave
velocity in material 2.

Diffraction
• Diffraction is the spreading of a wave
disturbance beyond the edge of a barrier.
Barrier with a medium gap
What do you think will
Paddle
happen if a barrier vibrates to
with a gap similar in produce
width to the waves
wavelength of the
waves is used?
Barrier
Circular waves are
produced, this effect is
known as DIFFRACTION.
Barrier with a large gap
What do you think will
Paddle
happen if a barrier vibrates to
with a gap larger than produce
the wavelength of the waves
waves is used?
Barrier
The waves pass through the
gap unchanged apart from
slight diffraction of the waves
near their ends.
Standing Waves
A standing wave, also known as a stationary wave, is a
wave that remains at a fixed position. There is no net
propagation of energy.
Two possibilities:
Case 1:The medium is moving
in the opposite direction to the
wave
Generation of Mountain Waves
(schematic drawing)
1 = Mountain, 2 = Wind, 3 = Rotor, 4 = Lee Wave
(Standing wave) , 5 = typical cloud (lenticularis),
6 = typical cloud (cumulus)
Case 2:Interference of two identical waves
moving in opposite directions
The resultant wave is given by the superposition principle
y( x , t )  y m sin ( k x   t )  y m sin ( k x   t )
 2 y m sin kx cos t
This is not the form of a traveling wave h( kx  t )
Consider y as a function of x at four different t,

values are shown in the following figure.
y  2 ym sin kx cos t
t=T
y displacements are zero at certain x values regardless of
the time. These positions are called “Nodes”.
The points that reach the highest amplitudes are at
certain x values and theses points are called “Antinodes”.
Transverse speed: dy
dt
y( x , t )  2 y m sin kx cos t
dy
  2 y m  sin kx sin t
dt
dy
At nodes sin kx = 0  =0
dt
At antinodes sin kx   1  dy
 2 y m  sin t
dt
Transverse acceleration
2
d y
 2 y m  2 sin kx cos t
dt 2
=0 , at nodes Since sin kx = 0 at nodes
2
 2 y m  cos t , at antinodes.
Since sin kx   1
At antinodes
Strain
Show below is true in class
dy
 2 y m k cos kx cos t
dx
=  2 y m k cos t , at nodes
= 0 , at antinodes
Interference of two sine waves traveling in
the same directions
Consider two waves of same wavelength and

frequency, but different amplitudes and phase
constants, traveling in the x-direction.
y 1  a sin ( kx  t )
y 2  b sin ( kx  t   )
 b [ sin ( kx  t ) cos   cos ( kx  t ) sin  ]
Resultant wave
y  y1  y 2
 sin ( kx  t ) ( a  b cos  )  cos ( kx  t ) ( b sin  )
 sin ( kx  t ) ( A cos  )  cos ( kx  t ) ( A sin  )

 A sin( kx  t   )
2 2
2 2 2
Where A  A sin   A cos   a2
2
b  2 ab cos 
b sin 
tan  
a  b cos 
Special case when a=b
 
A  2a cos tan   tan
2 2
 
y  2a cos sin ( kx  t  )
2 2
which is a traveling wave whose amplitude depends
on the phase (phi).
When the two waves are in-phase (phi=0), they interfere
constructively. Amplitude = 2a.
When the two waves have opposite-phase (phi=180), they
interfere destructively and cancel each other
Note: There is no energy loss or gain here,
only a redistribution of energy.

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2.

Particle: concentration of matter capable of

The disturbance may take any of a number of

Electromagnetic Waves: Require no material medium.

Particles have wave like properties.

If the medium is continuously disturbed

Longitudinal Wave: As the wave passes through,

Water Waves: As a wave travels through the water, the particles

Rayleigh Surface Waves in Solids: In a Rayleigh surface wave,

Slower transverse wave. Eight legs of the scorpion spread

For a sinusoidal wave

Example: Fourier series for the sawtooth wave can

At a given time, t=0 for example: y( x , 0 )  y m sin k x

y is same for all points with the same phase,

For a wave along the negative x direction

The general form of a traveling wave can be written as

• Straight waves are produced by periodically

• Circular waves are created by periodically

• The properties of the medium through

The resultant wave is given by the superposition principle

Consider y as a function of x at four different t,

Consider two waves of same wavelength and

 sin ( kx  t ) ( a  b cos  )  cos ( kx  t ) ( b sin  )

 sin ( kx  t ) ( A cos  )  cos ( kx  t ) ( A sin  )

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