HW01, Phys2306, Spring 2006, sections 14288 14291 14295 14296 with solutions 1

Problems from MasteringPhysics with minor clarifica- Part C

tions.
Compute the wavelength corresponding to 20 Hz for waves
in water (v = 1480 ms ).
15.3 - Speed, Wavelength, Frequency v 1480 ms 1480 ms
v = λf ⇒ λ= = = = 74 m
The speed of sound in air at 20◦ C is v =344m/s. f 20 Hz 20 1s
Note: In MasteringPhysics they say the correct answer is 74.0 m.

Part A
What is the wavelength, λ, of a sound wave with a fre-
quency of f = 784 Hz, corresponding to the note G5 on a Part D
piano? Compute the wavelength corresponding to 20,000 Hz for
v 344 m
344 m waves in water (v = 1480 ms ).
s s
v = λf ⇒ λ= = = 1 ≈ 0.439 m
f 784 Hz 784 s v 1480 ms 1480 ms
v = λf ⇒ λ= = =
f 20, 000 Hz 20, 000 1s

Part B = 7.4 × 10−2 m = 74mm

What is the frequency of a sound wave with a wavelength
Note: In MasteringPhysics they say the correct answer is 7.40 × 10−2 m.
of λ = 6.30 × 10−2 mm? (This frequency is too high for you
to hear.)
v 344 ms
v = λf ⇒ f=
λ
=
6.30 × 10−2 mm
15.6 - Transverse Wave
344 ms 1 A certain transverse wave is described by
= ≈ 5.46 × 106 = 5.46 × 106 Hz
6.30 × 10−5 m s   
x t
y(x, t) = A cos 2π − ,
λ T

15.5 - Audible Wavelengths where A = 6.10 mm, λ = 28.0 cm, and T = 3.10 × 10−2 s.

Provided that the amplitude is sufficiently great, the hu-

man ear can respond to longitudinal waves over a range of Part A
frequencies from about 20.0 Hz to about 20,000Hz.
Determine the wave’s amplitude.
Enter your answer in meters.
Part A
The factor that multiplies the cosine function (cos) is
Compute the wavelength corresponding to f =20Hz for
the amplitude. By inspection
waves in air (v = 344 ms ).
344 ms 344 ms 1m
v A = 6.10 mm = 6.1 mm × = 6.1 × 10−3 m
v = λf ⇒ λ= = = = 17.2 m 1000 mm
f 20 Hz 20 1s

Part B Part B
Compute the wavelength corresponding to f = 20,000 Hz Determine the wave’s wavelength, λ.
for waves in air (v = 344 ms ). Enter your answer in meters.
m m
v 344 s 344 s
v = λf ⇒ λ= = = 1
By inspection
f 20, 000 Hz 20, 000 s
1m
= 1.72 × 10−2 m = 17.2mm λ = 28.0 cm = 28.0 cm × = 0.28 m
100 cm
HW01, Phys2306, Spring 2006, sections 14288 14291 14295 14296 with solutions 2

Part C Part A
Determine the wave’s frequency, f . Find the frequency of these waves.
Enter your answer in hertz (Hz). Express your answer to four significant figures.

v 8 ms
f= = = 25 Hz
1 1 λ 0.32 m
f= = ≈ 32.258Hz ≈ 32.3 Hz
T 3.10 × 10−2 s

Part B
Part D
Find the period of these waves.
Determine the wave’s speed of propagation, v. Express your answer to four significant figures.
Enter your answer in meters per second ( ms ).
1 λ 0.32 m
T = = = = 0.04 s
f v 8 ms
λ 28 cm 28 cm m
v=fλ= = = ×
T 3.1 × 10−2 s 3.1 × 10−2 s 100 cm

m Part C
≈ 9.03
s Find the wave number of these waves.
Express your answer to four significant figures.

2π 2π 1 rad
Part E k= = ≈ 19.63495 ≈ 19.63
λ 0.32 m m m
Determine the wave’s direction of propagation.
Enter your answer in hertz (Hz).

The wave function is

Part D
   Write a wave function describing the wave.
x t
y(x, t) = A cos 2π − , Express your answer in terms of the variables x and t.
λ T
Enter each numeric value to four significant figures.
where A, λ, and T are positive constants. This may be
rewritten as y(x, t) = A cos (k x + ω t) ,
     where A is the amplitude, k is the wave number (Part C)
2π λ 2π
y(x, t) = A cos x− t = A cos (x − v t) and ω is the angular frequency.
λ T λ
8 ms
v   
where v ≡ λ ω = 2πf = 2π = 2π ×
T. We see that this has a function form that is a λ 0.32 m
function moving in the positive x-direction, y = f (x − v t).
So the wave is propagating in the +x direction . 1 rad
Of course all this work is not necessary, it’s just trying ≈ 157.07963267 ≈ 157.1
s s
to make the point very clear for this solution.
which gives us
 
rad rad
y(x, t) ≈ (0.07 m) cos 19.63 x + 157.1 t
15.7 - Transverse Waves on a String m s

Transverse (sinusoidal) waves on a string have wave speed
v = 8.00m/s, amplitude A = 0.0700m, and wavelength λ =
0.320m. The waves travel in the -x direction, and at t =
0 the x = 0 end of the string has its maximum upward
displacement.
Not including the rad (radians) unit also gives a valid
answer. The wave is traveling to in the negative x direction
so the two terms in the cos function are added and have
the same sign.
HW01, Phys2306, Spring 2006, sections 14288 14291 14295 14296 with solutions 3

Part E may be written as

Find the transverse displacement of a particle at x = 0.360m
 
2π
at time t = 0.150s. y(x, t) = A cos (x − vt)
λ
Express your answer to three significant figures.

y(0.360m, 0.150s) ∂ ∂
 
2π

  vy = y(x, t) = A cos (x − vt) .
1 1 ∂t ∂t λ
≈ (0.07 m) cos 19.63495 0.360m + 157.07963 0.150s
m s Using the chain rule we get
≈ 0.0494974 m ≈ 0.0495 m (  )   
∂ 2π ∂ 2π
vy = A  cos (x − vt) (x − vt)
∂ 2π

λ (x − vt)
λ ∂t λ

Part F  
2π
  
∂ 2π 2πv

= A − sin (x − vt) x− t
How much time must elapse from the instant in part (E) λ ∂t λ λ
until the particle at x = 0.360m next has maximum upward  
2π
 
2π

displacement? = A − sin (x − vt) − v
λ λ
Express your answer to three significant figures.
 
2π v 2π
In general ⇒ vy = A sin (x − vt)
λ λ
y(x, t) = A cos (k x + ωt)
for any x and t. So y is the maximum, A, when Part B
k x + ωt = 2π N Find the maximum speed of a particle of the string.
where N is any integer. Solving for t gives
When vy is a maximum the sin in the previous answer will
2π k λ x be 1. So
t= N− x= N− ,
ω ω v v
2π v
where we have used ω = 2πf = 2π λv and v = ωk . Plugging vy max = A
λ
in λ = 0.320m, v = 8.00 ms , and x = 0.360m we get
0.320m 0.360 m
t= m N− = (0.04 N − 0.045) s.
8 s 8 ms
15.17 - Transverse Pulse on a Rubber
We are looking for N that gives us the first non-zero of Tube
∆t ≡ t − 0.150s.
∆t = (0.04 N − 0.045) s − 0.150s = (0.04 N − 0.195) s. One end of a rubber tube of length L, with total mass m1 ,
is fastened to a fixed support. A cord attached to the other
We see that ∆t = 0 when N ≈ 4.9, so the first value of ∆t end passes over a pulley and supports an object with a mass
that is positive with N an integer is with N = 5. So of m2 . The tube is struck a transverse blow at one end.

∆t = (0.04 × 5 − 0.195) s. = 0.005 s .

Part A
Note: We do not round off any numbers.
Find the time, t, required for the pulse to reach the other
end.
Take free fall acceleration to be g.
15.15 - Speed of Propagation vs. Par-
The hanging mass, m2 , will make the tension in the
ticle Speed rubber tube, F = m2 g. The linear mass density of the
string is µ = mL1 . So the speed of a wave on the rubber
Part A tube (like a string) is
The equation s r
F m2 g m2 g L
r
x
v= = m1 = .
h i
y(x, t) = A cos 2πf −t µ m1
v L
HW01, Phys2306, Spring 2006, sections 14288 14291 14295 14296 with solutions 4

The pulse travels a distance of L in the time, t, that we are

looking for, so
s
L L m1 L
vt = L ⇒ t= = q = .
v m2 g L m2 g
m1