Vibrations and Waves MP205, Assignment 2 Solutions

1. Express the following in the form Re[Aei(ωt+α) ]

(a) z = sin ωt + cos ωt.

(b) z = cos(ωt − π/3) − cos ωt.
(c) z = 2 sin ωt + 3 cos ωt.
(d) z = sin ωt − 2 cos(ωt − π/4) + cos ωt.

First recall that Aei(ωt+α) can be written in two ways:

Aei(ωt+α) = A{cos(ωt) + i sin(ωt)}{cos(α) + i sin(α)}

= A{cos(ωt) cos(α) − sin(ωt) sin(α)} + Ai{cos(ωt) sin(α) + sin(ωt) cos(α)}
or
Aei(ωt+α) = A{cos(ωt + α) + i sin(ωt + α)}

From this we can write Re[Aei(ωt+α) ] as

Re[Aei(ωt+α) ] = A cos(ωt) cos(α) − A sin(ωt) sin(α)

or
Re[Aei(ωt+α) ] = A cos(ωt + α)

For these solutions I’ll do the first format.

(a) z = sin ωt + cos ωt

sin(ωt) + cos(ωt) = A cos(ωt) cos(α) − A sin(ωt) sin(α)

1 = −A sin(α) 1 = A cos(α)
1 1
A=− A=
sin(α) cos(α)
A is positive so we know
sin(α) < 0 cos(α) > 0

1 1
− =
sin(α) cos(α)
sin(α)
= −1
cos(α)
 7π
α=
4
1 1 √
A= = = 2
cos 7π


cos(α) 4
√ 7π
⇒ z = Re[ 2ei(ωt+ 4 ) ]

(b) z = cos(ωt − π/3) − cos ωt = cos(ωt − π/3) + cos(ωt + π).

z = cos(ωt − π3) − cos(ωt)

π  π 
cos(ωt − π3) = cos(ωt) cos + sin(ωt) sin
3
√ 3
1 3
= cos(ωt) + sin(ωt)
2 2
√
1 3
⇒ z = cos(ωt) + sin(ωt) − cos(ωt)
2 2√
1 3
= − cos(ωt) + sin(ωt)
2 2
√
3 1
= −A sin(α) − = A cos(α)
2 √ 2
3 1
2A = − 2A = −
sin(α) cos(α)
A is positive so we know
sin(α) < 0 cos(α) < 0

√
3 1
− =−
sin(α) cos(α)
sin(α) √
= 3
cos(α)

4π
α=
3
1 1
2A = − =
=2
cos(α) cos 4π
3
⇒A=1
4π
⇒ z = Re[ei(ωt+ 3 ) ]

(c) z = 2 sin ωt + 3 cos ωt = 2 cos(ωt − π/2) + 3 cos(ωt).

 z = 2 sin(ωt) + 3 cos(ωt)

2 = −A sin(α) 3 = A cos(α)
2 3
A=− A=
sin(α) cos(α)
A is positive so we know
sin(α) < 0 cos(α) > 0

2 3
− =
sin(α) cos(α)
sin(α) 2
=−
cos(α) 3

α = 5.7rad
3 3 √
A= = 2


= 13
cos(α) cos 2π − tan−1 3
√ i(ωt+5.7)
⇒ z = Re[ 13e ]
(d) z = sin ωt − 2 cos(ωt − π/4) + cos ωt
 π
z = sin(ωt) − 2 cos ωt − + cos(ωt)
4
 π π  π 
cos ωt − = cos(ωt) cos + sin(ωt) sin
4 4 4
1 1
= √ cos(ωt) + √ sin(ωt)
2 2
√ √
⇒ z = sin(ωt) − 2 cos(ωt) − 2 sin(ωt) + cos(ωt)
√ √
= (1 − 2) cos(ωt) + (1 − 2) sin(ωt)
√ √
(1 − 2) = −A sin(α) (1 − 2) = A cos(α)
√ √
(1 − 2) (1 − 2)
A=− A=
sin(α) cos(α)
A is positive so we know
sin(α) > 0 cos(α) < 0
√ √
(1 − 2) (1 − 2)
− =
sin(α) cos(α)
sin(α)
= −1
cos(α)
 3π
α=
4 √ √
(1 − 2) (1 − 2) √
A= = = 2 − 2
cos 3π


cos(α) 4
√ 3π
⇒ z = Re[(2 − 2)ei(ωt+ 4 ) ]

* 2. A particle is simultaneously subjected to three simple harmonic motions,

all of the same frequency and in the x direction. If the amplitudes are
0.25, 0.20, and 0.15 mm, respectively, and the phase difference between
the first and second is 45◦ , and between the second and third is 30◦ , find
the amplitude of the resultant displacement and its phase relative to the
first (0.25 mm amplitude) component.
So again we want to get this in the form:

Re[Aei(ωt+α) ] = A cos(ωt) cos(α) − A sin(ωt) sin(α)

First we need to set up our system:

x1 = 0.25 cos(ωt)
 π
x2 = 0.20 cos ωt +
4 
h π  π i
= 0.20 cos(ωt) cos − sin(ωt) sin
 4  4
1 1
= 0.20 √ cos(ωt) − √ sin(ωt)
2 2
≈ 0.14 cos(ωt) − 0.14 sin(ωt)
 
 π π 5π
x3 = 0.15 cos ωt + + = 0.15 cos ωt +
4 6 12
    
5π 5π
= 0.15 cos(ωt) cos − sin(ωt) sin
12 12
≈ 0.15 [0.26 cos(ωt) − 0.97 sin(ωt)]
= 0.039 cos(ωt) − 0.136 sin(ωt)

Our particle is simultaneously to these three simple harmonic motions:

x = x1 + x2 + x3
= 0.25 cos(ωt) + 0.14 cos(ωt) − 0.14 sin(ωt) + 0.039 cos(ωt) − 0.136 sin(ωt)
= 0.43 cos(ωt) − 0.28 sin(ωt)
 − 0.28 = −A sin(α) 0.43 = A cos(α)
0.28 0.43
A= A=
sin(α) cos(α)
A is positive so we know
sin(α) > 0 cos(α) > 0

0.28 0.43
=
sin(α) cos(α)
sin(α) 0.28
= = 0.65
cos(α) 0.43

α = 0.58rad
0.43 0.43
A= = = 51mm
cos(α) cos(0.58)
⇒ z = Re[51ei(ωt+0.58) ]

3. Two vibrations along the same line are described by the equations

y1 = A cos(10πt)
y2 = A cos(12πt)

Find the beat period, and draw a careful sketch of the resultant distur-
bance over one beat period.

2π 2π
beat period T = = = 1s
|ω1 − ω2 | |10π − 12π|
4. Find the frequency of the combined motion of each of the following:
√
* (a) sin(2πt − 2) + cos(2πt).
(b) sin(12πt) + cos(13πt − π/4).
(c) sin(3t) − cos(πt).
Here we use the fact that when two SHM’s are quite close in frequency, they have a
frequency equal to the average of the combining frequencies (but with an amplitude
that varies periodically with time).
Also recall the following formulae:
1
f=
T
2π
T =
ω
1 ω
⇒f = =
T 2π
√
(a) sin(2πt − 2) + cos(2πt).
√
x = x1 + x2 = sin(2πt − 2) + cos(2πt)
√
x1 = sin(2πt − 2)
 √ π
= cos 2πt − 2 −
2
⇒ ω1 = 2π
ω1 2π
⇒ f1 = = =1
2π 2π
x2 = cos(2πt)
⇒ ω2 = 2π
ω2 2π
⇒ f2 = = =1
2π 2π
The average of these frequencies is given by:
f1 + f2 1+1
f= = =1
2 2
(b) sin(12πt) + cos(13πt − π/4).
x = x1 + x2 = sin(12πt) + cos(13πt − π/4)
x1 = sin(12πt)
 π
= cos 12πt −
2
⇒ ω1 = 12π
ω1 12π
⇒ f1 = = =6
2π 2π
x2 = cos(13πt − π/4)
⇒ ω2 = 13π
ω2 13π
⇒ f2 = = = 6.5
2π 2π
The average of these frequencies is given by:
f1 + f2 6 + 6.5
f= = = 6.25
2 2
 (c) sin(3t) − cos(πt).

x = x1 + x2 = sin(3t) − cos(πt)
x1 = sin(3t)
 π
= cos 3t −
2
⇒ ω1 = 3
3
⇒ f1 =
2π
x2 = − cos(πt)
= cos(πt + π)
⇒ ω2 = π
ω2 π 1
⇒ f2 = = =
2π 2π 2
The average of these frequencies is given by:
3 1
f1 + f2 2π
+ 2
f= = ≈ 4.9
2 2

* 5. Two vibrations at right angles to one another are described by the equa-
tions

x = 10 cos(5πt)
y = 10 cos(10πt + π/3)

Construct the Lissajous figure of the combined motion.

We have x = 10 cos(5πt), y = 10 cos(10πt + π/3).

6. Construct the Lissajous figures for the following motions:

(a) x = cos(2ωt), y = sin(2ωt).

(b) x = cos(2ωt), y = cos(2ωt − π/4).
(c) x = cos(2ωt), y = cos(ωt).

(a) We have x = cos(2ωt), y = sin(2ωt) = cos(2ωt − π/2).

(b) We have x = cos(2ωt), y = cos(2ωt − π/4).

(c) We have x = cos(2ωt), y = cos(ωt).