WAVES

A.Phiri
 WAVES

• A wave is a periodical disturbance that propagates in a particular

medium.ie dropping a pebble in a pond creates water waves
• A wave is a motion of disturbance
• Other examples of waves include; sound waves, waves on a
string, and electromagnetic waves such as visible light, radio
waves, television signals, and x-rays.

• All waves carry energy

 TYPES OF WAVES
• Classified into two different categories:
A) Medium requirement-
Mechanical waves
Electromagnetic waves i.e. light waves

B) Nature of the vibration of the field or particle

Transverse waves
Longitudinal waves
Mechanical waves
• A mechanical wave is an oscillation/vibration of matter,
and therefore transfers energy through a medium
For example water waves, sound waves, waves in
stretched spring and elastic spring
• They require 3 things;
i. some source of disturbance
ii. A medium that can be disturbed
iii.Some physical connection or mechanism through
which adjacent portions of the medium can influence
each other
 Electromagnetic Waves

• Electromagnetic waves are waves that are created as a

result of vibrations between an electric field and a
magnetic field.
• Requires no medium for propagation
Examples include; All member of the electromagnetic
spectrum e.g. microwaves, infrared radiation, UV-light,
visible light.
• Can travel in a vacuum
 TRANSVERSE WAVES

• Vibrations/ displacements are perpendicular to the

direction of propagation of the waves
• Examples Include;
A transverse wave that is set up in a spring by moving one
end of the spring perpendicular to its length.
Transverse waves cont…
EM waves; consist of vibrating electric & magnetic
fields both of which are perpendicular to the direction
of wave travel

Water waves; particles vibrate up and down to the

direction of wave travel which is horizontal.
• Each particle vibrates with same frequency and
amplitude
 LONGITUDINAL WAVE
• A traveling wave or pulse that causes the elements of the
medium to move parallel to the direction of propagation is called
a longitudinal wave

• Displacements of particles cause regions of high density(pressure)

called compression and low density(pressure) called rarefactions
to be formed

• Rarefactions and compressions move along (parallel) with the

speed of the wave
 Longitudinal waves cont…
The left end of the spring is pushed briefly to the right and
then pulled briefly to the left.
• This movement creates a sudden compression of a region
of the coils.
• The compressed region travels along the spring. (parallel to
the wave propagation)
• sound waves
 disturbance in a sound wave is a series of high-pressure
and low-pressure regions that travel through air
 WAVE CHARACTERISTICS
Displacement -is the distance a particle moves from its
central equilibrium position.

Amplitude (A) – Maximum displacement of particle of the

medium from its equilibrium point. The bigger the
amplitude, the more energy the wave carries.

Wavelength – separation of two adjacent crests (max

positive displacement) or trough (max negative
displacement)
 WAVE
CHARACTERISTICS
• Period (T) – Time(s) taken for any particle to undergo complete
cont…
oscillation.
Time taken for the wave to travel one wavelength.
Reciprocal of frequency: T = 1 / f.
• Frequency (f ) – The number of cycles a particle undergoes per
second
SI unit is Hertz (Hz).
• Wave speed/Velocity (v) – How fast the wave is moving (the
disturbance itself, not the individual particles).
Speed depends on the medium

WAVE PULSES
• A Pulse is created by flicking end of string once as
shown below
• The string is the medium through which the pulse
travels.
• The pulse has a definite height and a definite speed
of propagation along the medium (the string).
• The shape of the pulse changes very little as it travels
along
the string.
As the pulse travels,
each disturbed element
of the string moves in a
direction perpendicular
to the direction of
propagation.
WAVES
• Reading assignment
• Properties of waves
• Superposition
• The law of superposition
• Interference
• Destructive and constructive
Waves on a string

1. Speed of a wave
2.Energy in wave motion
• The total energy in a wave on a string is given as;

• Then the power can be found by;

example
3.Standing waves on a string
• Formed as a result of the interference of waves travelling in opposite
directions in the same medium at the same time.

• Occurs when frequencies of the waves are equal and forms a large
amplitude.
• The wave seem not to be moving.
• They are produced at resonant frequencies.
4.Normal Modes of a string
• A normal mode of an oscillating system is a motion in which all
Particles of the system move sinusoidally with the same frequency.
• For a string fixed at both ends, the length is related to the wavelength
• Each of the wavelengths corresponds to a possible normal-mode
pattern and frequency.
• The frequency is called a harmonic or an overtone.
Normal modes continued
• Thus (n= 1,2,3,…)

(n=1,2,3,…)

(n=1,2,3,…)

(n=1,2,3,…)

(n=1,2,3,…)

= which is called the

fundamental frequency.
Example
• Find the frequencies of the fundamental, second and third harmonics
of a steel wire 1.00 m long with a mass per unit length of 2.00 ×10^-3
kg/m and under a tension of 80.0 N.
 Vibrations in air columns

• These are vibrations existing

in air medium(i.e. pipe)
• In a pipe open at both ends
the natural frequencies of
oscillations form a harmonic
series that include all integral
multiples of the fundamental
frequency.
(n=1,2,3,…)
Vibrations in air columns continued
• In a pipe closed at one end
, the natural frequencies of
oscillations form a harmonic
series that include only odd
integral multiples of the
fundamental frequency.
(n=1,3,5,…)
Example

• A section of drainages culvert 1.23m in length makes a howling noise

when the wind blows. Determine the first three harmonics if it is open
at both ends and the speed of sound in air is 343m/s.
= = = 139Hz
==2(139Hz)= 278Hz
==3(139Hz)=417Hz
Example

• A section of drainages culvert 1.23m in length makes a howling noise

when the wind blows. Determine the first three harmonics if it is open
at both ends and the speed of sound in air is 343m/s.
= = = 139Hz
==2(139Hz)= 278Hz
==3(139Hz)=417Hz
 The Doppler Effect
• In sound waves, the frequency changes relative to the source and the observer of
the sound.
• Using the wave equation
•=
• Let the speed of the observer be V0
and the source be Vs

• At V0 = 0 and Vs =0, the observer detect a frequency f

• When the observer moves towards the source, the speed of the wave towards the
source is v’=v+V0
• The frequency is increased,
• = but = then
Doppler effect continued
• If the observer moves away from the source, the speed of the wave relative to the observer is
• v’=v-V0
• The frequency is increased,
• = but = then

• ) (observer away from source)

• Generally;
• )

v is the speed of sound in air.

• When the observer is stationary and the source moves towards the
observer,
The wavelength is decreased, f increases
• When the source moves away from a stationary observer, the
wavelength is increased, f decreases

• In general,

• If both are in motion,

Example

• An ambulance travels down a highway at a speed of 33.5m/s, its siren

emitting sound at a frequency 4.00 ×102 Hz. Taking the speed of
sound in air to be 345 m/s. What frequency is heard by a passenger in
a car traveling at 24.6m/s in the opposite direction as the car and
ambulance
• (a) approach each other?
• (b)pass and move away from each other?.
The end!