MODULE

IN
PHYSICS FOR ENGINEERS
(PHYS 20034)

UNIT II:
OSCILLATIONS AND WAVES

Prepared and Submitted by:

Engr. Hannah Ledda B. Ferrer
COURSE OVERVIEW:
This is a calculus-based course covering the basic laws and phenomena in mechanics,
electricity and magnetism, oscillation and waves, rotational mechanics and modern Physics. It
expands on selected areas Physics to reinforce and expand student understanding of the
fundamental concepts and their application to solving engineering problems.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Understand basic concepts and principles of Physics;

• Develop problem-solving processes involving mathematics, which includes calculus, to
obtain quantitative solution in Physics;
• Demonstrate the ability to think critically in choosing appropriate Physics concepts to
analyze engineering problems.

MODULE 2: Oscillations and Waves

Overview:
We begin this new unit by studying a special type of motion called periodic motion, the
repeating motion of an object in which it continues to return to a given position after a fixed time
interval. The repetitive movements of such an object are called oscillations. To explain many other
phenomena in nature, we must understand the concepts of oscillations and waves. For instance,
although skyscrapers and bridges appear to be rigid, they actually oscillate, something the
architects and engineers who design and build them must take into account.

Objectives:
After successful completion of this module, you should be able to:
• Analyze the oscillatory motion of a variety of systems;
• Analyze the motion of a mass on a spring and the motion of a simple pendulum;
• Distinguish between transverse and longitudinal waves;
• Describe mathematically a sinusoidal wave and know the relationships between
wavelength, frequency, and speed; and
• Describe a standing wave
Lesson 4: Sound Waves
Course Materials
Vibrations cause sounds. Molecules in the air vibrate about some average position
creating the compressions and rarefactions. We call the frequency of sound the pitch.

Sound waves are longitudinal waves. Frequency of sound waves are number of
oscillations in pressure per second while wavelength is distance between each successive region
of high or low pressure.
Molecules of the medium collide, allowing the wave to be transmitted through it. The
speed of sound depends on elasticity of the medium. The more elastic the medium, the faster the
sound.

Loudness - depends on the amplitude of sound wave. Again, the amplitude of a wave
indicates its energy. The greater the amplitude, the greater the energy. The intensity of a sound is
proportional to the square of the amplitude of the sound wave. (E ≈ I ≈ A2). Loudness is
measured in decibels (dB)

Sound intensity is the sound power as it passes through a given area I = P / Area… (W/m2).
 Io = x 10-12 W/m2 (threshold of hearing)
Intensity Level, β, is a comparison of two sound intensities (Ratio)
β = (10 dB) log10 (I / Io)

Example:
If the intensity, I, exceeds the reference intensity, Io, by a factor of 4, the intensity level is???
Solution:
β = (10 dB) log10 (4)
β = 6 dB

Natural frequency happens when an object’s own set of frequencies. It depends primarily on
elasticity and shape. When the frequency of a forced vibration matches the an object’s natural
frequency, a dramatic increase in amplitude occurs.

Doppler effect refers to the change in frequency when there is relative motion between an
observer of waves and the source of the waves.
Reading Materials:

• Chapter 15 – Travelling Waves, Physics For Scientists and Engineers by P. Tipler and G.
Mosca
• Chapter 17 – Sound Wave, Physics For Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics by
Serway and Jewett
Watch:

• Do Space Have Sound, retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqF3pPU1Z4U
• Musical Fire Table, retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2awbKQ2DLRE
• The Doppler Effect: what does motion do to waves? retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OnBYrbCjY

Activity/Assessment:
1. You stand on a platform at a train station and listen to a train approaching the station at a
constant velocity. While the train approaches, but before it arrives, what do you hear? (a)
the intensity and the frequency of the sound both increasing (b) the intensity and the
frequency of the sound both decreasing (c) the intensity increasing and the frequency
decreasing (d) the intensity decreasing and the frequency increasing (e) the intensity
increasing and the frequency remaining the same (f) the intensity decreasing and the
frequency remaining the same.
2. When a guitar string is plucked, is the wavelength of the wave it produces in air the same
as the wavelength of the wave on the string? Why or why not?
3. In a physics experiment, a bell is placed in a sealed jar and rung while the air is slowly
removed. After a while, the bell becomes inaudible. This is commonly cited as proof that
sound waves can't travel through a vacuum, but in fact the sound becomes inaudible well
before the jar is completely evacuated. Can you give another reason why the sound from
the bell can't be heard?
4. Listen to the noise of cars and jeepneys on the streets. Does distance affect their
frequency? Does the motion of the vehicles affect the sound? How?