General PHYSICS-II

(PHYS 121-452)

Grading Scheme-452

Laboratory : Lab Reports - 20 Marks

Final Lab exam - 10 Marks 30 Marks

Theory:
Quiz-I&II - 15Marks
Assignment/hw - 5 MARK
Mid-Term Exam - 20 Marks 70 Marks
Final Theory exam - 30 MARKS
 Book for this Course
PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS
10Th Edition
Authors: JEARL WALKER/DAVID
HALLIDAY/ROBERT RESNICK
Wiley Publishers
International Student Version
Waves-I

Chapter:16
 Contents

• Introduction – Waves
• Classification of Mechanical waves
• General wave equation & its parameters
• Power of the wave
• Superposition principle
• Speed of the wave on the string
• Calculation of wavelength (standing waves)
• Resonant frequency
 Waves
A wave is a disturbance in a medium which
transfers energy from one point to another point
in a medium
Types of Waves
1.Mechanical waves : Water waves, sound
waves and seismic waves . Needs medium to
propagate
2.Electromagnetic Waves: visible, UV, Radio
Micro, x-ray and radar waves. Doesn’t require a
medium to propagate
3.Matter waves: Associated with electrons,
protons and other fundamental particles
 Classification of Mechanical waves
Longitudinal waves
The displacement of particle of the medium is
parallel to the direction of propagation.

Transverse wave
The displacement of particles of the medium is
perpendicular to the direction of propagation
Wavelength- the distance travelled by the wave in one cycle
For longitudinal wave the wavelength is the distance between
adjacent compressions or rarefactions

For transverse wave the wavelength is the distance between

adjacent peaks or troughs
 Wave Parameters
• Amplitude-the measure of the displacement of the wave from its
resting position.

• Wavelength is the distance between identical points (adjacent crests) in the

adjacent cycles of a waveform signal propagated in space or along a wire

• Time Period: The period of a waveform is the time required

for completing one full cycle. It is measured in seconds
T=1/f
• The frequency of a waveform is the number of
cycles that is completed each second.
It is measured in Hertz(Hz)
f=1/T
Exercise:
Amplitude = ?
Time period=?
Frequency, f=?

•Angular frequency ω:
2
  2 f ( in rad/s)
T
 WAVE EQUATION

y(x,t)=ymsin(kx-t)
Displacement = y(x,t), Amplitude = ym, Angular wave number = k
Position = x, Angular frequency = ,Time = t, Oscillating term = sin(kx-t)
Phase = kx-t

/2 B

 C 0 or 2 (A or
E)

Phase at 3/2
A - 0 D

B - /2
C -
D - 3/2
E - 2  or 0
Angular wave number, k
 Power of the wave
A wave is a transfer of energy, and therefore the rate
at which this transfer occurs (or the power) can be
quantified

For a sinusoidal wave: P= ( v ym2 2 )/2

Where,

 = Linear density
v = speed of the wave
ym2 = Amplitude

 and v depend on the MEDIUM

ym and  depend on the WAVE
 The Superposition Principle
The displacement of the resultant wave that forms
when two waves overlap depends on the direction of
the two waves, and their relative phase (or phase
difference)

Constructive Interference Destructive Interference

 Principle of superposition
Overlapping waves add algebraically to produce a resultant wave.
Overlapping waves do not alter the travel of each other
 Speed of a wave on a stretched string

From laboratory manual: experiment

“Standing waves on a string”
String vibrator causes a transverse wave to travel along a
piece of string
T
Speed of wave = v v
Tension in the string = T 
Linear density of the string = 
 Wavelength calculation from the loop

Fundamental or 1st harmonic, n = 1

2nd harmonic, n = 2
3rd harmonic, n = 3
4th harmonic, n = 4

2L
n  n  1, 2, 3, . . .
n
 Resonant frequency
Standing wave pattern will be formed only
when the string vibrates at a particular
frequency called resonant frequency.
f = v/

where n = 1,2,3,4……

nv
fn  n  1, 2, 3, . . .
2L
 Sample problem

Example A 9-g steel wire is 2 m long and is under a

tension of 400 N. If the string vibrates in three loops, what
is the frequency of the wave?
L

T
v

F=400 N

f3 = 224 Hz
Problems to be solved
3,4,52