PHS 227

Tuesday 13 July, 2021

(1200 – 1400 LT)
 Categories of waves
• Transverse, Longitudinal
• Mechanical, Electromagnetic
• Standing, Travelling
 Travelling wave examples

https://study.com/cimages/videopreview/4lr9ji8cbw.jpg https://www.brown.edu/research/labs/mittleman/
sites/brown.edu.research.labs.mittleman/files/uplo
ads/lecture02_0.pdf
 Standing waves
An excellent animation of different modes of
standing waves can be found at
http://zonalandeducation.com/mstm/physics/w
aves/standingWaves/standingWaveDiagrams1
/StandingWaveDiagrams1.html
Mathematical Representation of a
Travelling Wave
When a detailed description of the motions
and positions of the individual particles of a
medium are required at a particular time
during wave propagation, a wave function
describing such is usually used.
 Graph of the displacements of different particles as a function of distance from
origin and time .

The length of the lines represent the displacements of

the particles (of the medium through which the wave
passes) from their mean positions.
Mathematical Representation of a
Travelling Wave (contd.)
The displacement of a wave travelling in the
positive x- direction can be represented as

and for a wave travelling in the opposite

direction, .

Therefore, when x=0, the wave equation

reduces to
Interference and Diffraction of Light
Waves
When light encounters an aperture, an edge,
or a barrier, it tends to bend around the edges
and spread out into the space beyond the
barrier (this behavior of a wave is called
diffraction).
A diffraction grating consists of a large number
of equally spaced narrow slits or lines. When a
light ray passes through the slits, it bends as it
passes through the opening and new waves
are formed from the original waves.
 Assignment
• Explain the difference(s) between a
transmission grating and a reflection grating.
• How does the number of lines/slits in a
diffraction grating affect the width of
interference maxima?
• How does the number of lines/slits in a
diffraction grating affect the resolution of
interference maxima?