Module No.

3
Properties/ Behaviors of Waves
Waves and Optics
SCI 117

This course discusses the fundamental concepts of mechanical and electromagnetic waves.
It describes the production and propagation of waves, its characteristics, types and properties. It
also deals with the simple harmonic motion. This course also gives emphasis on the nature and
duality of light with emphasis on physical and geometric optics. Concepts and principles on sound
propagation is also included. Learning waves and optics allows the students to gain insights on the
importance of waves on daily activities and applies the concepts and principles in problem solving.

Total Learning Time: 6 hours per week

Waves are carrier of energy. As the waves travel through a medium, the energy it carries
is transmitted as vibrational energy from one particle to another. Energy is transferred from one
place to another via SHM.

Wave motion plays an important role in the transmission of energy and information. You
can hear music / noise because the sound waves are carried by the air particles to your ears.
Different communication systems use electromagnetic waves to transmit information. Stronger
bonds of friendships and even finding lost love ones is made easy via the use of social media which
in return is possible because of wave propagation and transmission. In short communication is
made easier, faster and even cheaper compared to years ago.

As a wave travels through a medium, it will often reach the end of the medium and
encounter an obstacle or perhaps another medium through which it could travel. How waves
behave as it hit a barrier or a boundary will be the focus of discussion in this module.

At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

1. explain comprehensively the different wave behaviors/ properties such as:

a. reflection
b. refraction
c. diffraction

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 d. interference
2. discuss the types of
a. reflection
b. inteference

1. Properties of Waves
a. reflection
a.1. types of reflection
b. refraction
c. diffraction
d. interference
d.1. Types of interference

 The behavior of a wave (or pulse) upon reaching the end of a medium is referred to
as boundary behavior. When one medium ends, another medium begins; the interface of
the two media is referred to as the boundary and the behavior of a wave at that boundary
is described as its boundary behavior.
Fixed End Reflection
First consider an elastic rope stretched from end to
end. One end will be securely attached to a pole on a lab
bench while the other end will be held in the hand in order
to introduce pulses into the medium. Because the right end
of the rope is attached to a pole (which is attached to a lab
bench) (which is attached to the floor that is attached to the
building that is attached to the Earth), the last particle of the rope will be unable to move when a
disturbance reaches it. This end of the rope is referred to as a fixed end.
If a pulse is introduced at the left end of the rope, it will travel through the rope towards
the right end of the medium. This pulse is called the incident pulse since it is incident towards
(i.e., approaching) the boundary with the pole. When the incident pulse reaches the boundary, two
things occur:
 A portion of the energy carried by the pulse is reflected and returns towards the left end of the
rope. The disturbance that returns to the left after bouncing off the pole is known as
the reflected pulse.
 A portion of the energy carried by the pulse is transmitted to the pole, causing the pole to
vibrate. Because the vibrations of the pole are not visibly obvious, the energy transmitted to it
is not typically discussed. The focus of the discussion will be on the reflected pulse.
When one observes the reflected pulse off
the fixed end, there are several notable
observations. First the reflected pulse
is inverted. That is, if an upward displaced
pulse is incident towards a fixed end boundary,
it will reflect and return as a downward
displaced pulse. Similarly, if a downward
displaced pulse is incident towards a fixed end boundary, it will reflect and return as an upward
displaced pulse.
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The inversion of the reflected pulse can be explained by returning to our conceptions of the nature
of a mechanical wave. When a crest reaches the end of a medium ("medium A"), the last particle
of the medium A receives an upward displacement. This particle is attached to the first particle of
the other medium ("medium B") on the other side of the boundary. As the last particle of medium
A pulls upwards on the first particle of medium B, the first particle of medium B pulls downwards
on the last particle of medium A. This is merely Newton's third law of action-reaction. For every
action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. It is important to note that it is the heaviness of the
pole and the lab bench relative to the rope that causes the rope to become inverted upon interacting
with the wall. When two media interact by exerting pushes and pulls upon each other, the most
massive medium wins the interaction. Just like in arm wrestling, the medium that loses receives a
change in its state of motion.
Other notable characteristics of the reflected pulse include:
 The speed of the reflected pulse is the same as the speed of the incident pulse.
 The wavelength of the reflected pulse is the same as the wavelength of the incident pulse.
 The amplitude of the reflected pulse is less than the amplitude of the incident pulse.
It is not surprising that the speed of the incident and reflected pulse are identical since the two
pulses are traveling in the same medium. Since the speed of a wave (or pulse) is dependent upon
the medium through which it travels, two pulses in the same medium will have the same speed. A
similar line of reasoning explains why the incident and reflected pulses have the same wavelength.
Every particle within the rope will have the same frequency. Being connected to one another, they
must vibrate at the same frequency. Since the wavelength of a wave depends upon the frequency
and the speed, two waves having the same frequency and the same speed must also have the same
wavelength. Finally, the amplitude of the reflected pulse is less than the amplitude of the incident
pulse since some of the energy of the pulse was transmitted into the pole at the boundary. The
reflected pulse is carrying less energy away from the boundary compared to the energy that the
incident pulse carried towards the boundary. Since the amplitude of a pulse is indicative of the
energy carried by the pulse, the reflected pulse has a smaller amplitude than the incident pulse.

Free End Reflection

Now consider what would happen if the end of the
rope were free to move. Instead of being securely attached
to a lab pole, suppose it is attached to a ring that is loosely
fit around the pole. Because the right end of the rope is no
longer secured to the pole, the last particle of the rope will
be able to move when a disturbance reaches it. This end of
the rope is referred to as a free end.
Once more if a pulse is introduced at the left end of the rope, it will travel through the rope
towards the right end of the medium. When the incident pulse reaches the end of the medium, the
last particle of the rope can no longer interact with the first particle of the pole. Since the rope and
pole are no longer attached and interconnected, they will slide past each other. So when a crest
reaches the end of the rope, the last particle of the rope receives the same upward displacement;
only now there is no adjoining particle to pull downward upon the last particle of the rope to cause
it to be inverted. The result is that the
reflected pulse is not inverted. When an
upward displaced pulse is incident upon a
free end, it returns as an upward displaced
pulse after reflection. And when a
downward displaced pulse is incident upon
a free end, it returns as a downward
displaced pulse after reflection. Inversion is not observed in free end reflection. A pulse is
introduced into the left end of a wave machine. The incident pulse is displaced upward. When it
reaches the right end, it reflects back. The reflected pulse is not inverted. It is also displaced
upward.
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Transmission of a Pulse Across a Boundary from Less to More Dense
Consider a thin rope attached to a thick rope, with each rope held at opposite ends by
people. And suppose that a pulse is introduced by the person holding the end of the thin rope. If
this is the case, there will be an incident
pulse traveling in the less dense medium
(the thin rope) towards the boundary
with a more dense medium (the thick
rope).
Upon reaching the boundary, the usual two behaviors will occur.
 A portion of the energy carried by the incident pulse is reflected and returns towards the left
end of the thin rope. The disturbance that returns to the left after bouncing off the boundary is
known as the reflected pulse.
 A portion of the energy carried by the incident pulse is transmitted into the thick rope. The
disturbance that continues moving to the right is known as the transmitted pulse.

The reflected pulse will be found to be inverted in situations such as this. During the
interaction between the two media at the boundary, the first particle of the more dense medium
overpowers the smaller mass of the last particle of the less dense medium. This causes an upward
displaced pulse to become a downward displaced pulse. The more dense medium on the other hand
was at rest prior to the interaction. The first particle of this medium receives an upward pull when
the incident pulse reaches the boundary. Since the more dense medium was originally at rest, an
upward pull can do nothing but cause an upward displacement. For this reason, the transmitted
pulse is not inverted.

Comparisons can also be made

between the characteristics of the
transmitted pulse and those of the
reflected pulse. Once more there are
several noteworthy characteristics.
 The transmitted pulse (in the more
dense medium) is traveling slower
than the reflected pulse (in the less
dense medium).
 The transmitted pulse (in the more
dense medium) has a smaller
wavelength than the reflected pulse
(in the less dense medium).
 The speed and the wavelength of the reflected pulse are the same as the speed and the
wavelength of the incident pulse.

Reflection

When a wave moves through a medium, part of it may be transmitted and the rest reflected
as it reaches the boundary of the medium. Water waves are reflected at the banks of the pool. Light
waves are reflected by mirrors. Sound waves are reflected by the by walls or other large surfaces.
When you shout in a mountainous place, you will hear exactly the same voice shouting the same
words.

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Some of the sound waves produced are reflected. This
reflected sound waves are called echo.

A periodic wave is represented by series of wave

fronts (parallel lines representing the wave crests) on a
ray. A ray is a straight line drawn in the direction of the
wave motion perpendicular to the wave fronts. The angle
formed by an incoming wave front with the reflecting
surface (medium boundary) is called the angle of
incidence θi and the angle formed by the reflected wave
front is the angle of reflection θr. These angles are the
angles found between a ray and a line perpendicular to
the boundary. Waves that are partially transmitted
and partially reflected when they strike
There is a relationship between the angle of
the boundary of the medium.
incidence and the angle of reflection. This is shown in the
equation

𝜃𝑖 = 𝜃𝑟

This is known as the law of reflection. It states

that waves are reflected from the boundary of the medium
at the same angle at which they approach it. The
wavelength and frequency of the waves are not affected
by the reflection when the reflecting surface is stationary.
When the reflection surface is in motion, there is a shift
in frequency which also affects the wavelength. This shift
in frequency is called Doppler effect. The effect occurs The rays are straight lines perpendicular to
for all types of waves. (This will be discussed in the next the wave fronts. They represented incident
module). (incoming) and reflected waves. Wave fronts
are parallel lines drawn on each ray. Each
wave front represents a wave crest.
There are also two types of reflection:
1. Regular or specular reflection which happens
when waves strike at an even or regular
surfaces.
2. Irregular or diffused reflection occurs when waves strike an uneven or irregular
surfaces.

Refraction
Waves that strike a medium or boundary are partly reflected and partly absorbed by the
boundary. Waves involves a change in the direction as they pass from one medium to another.
Refraction or the bending of the path of the waves, is accompanied by a change in speed and
wavelength of the waves. Remember that the speed of a wave is dependent upon the properties of
the medium through which the waves travel. So if the medium (and its properties) is changed, the
speed of the waves is changed. The most significant property of water that would affect the speed
of waves traveling on its surface is the depth of the water. Water waves travel fastest when the
medium is the deepest. Thus, if water waves are passing from deep water into shallow water, they
will slow down. This decrease in speed will also be accompanied by a decrease in wavelength. So
as water waves are transmitted from deep water into shallow water, the speed
decreases, the wavelength decreases, and the direction changes.
This boundary behavior of water waves can be observed in a ripple
tank if the tank is partitioned into a deep and a shallow section. If a pane of
glass is placed in the bottom of the tank, one part of the tank will be deep and
the other part of the tank will be shallow. Waves traveling from the deep end
to the shallow end can be seen to refract (i.e., bend), decrease wavelength (the
wavefronts get closer together), and slow down (they take a longer time to travel the same
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distance). When traveling from deep water to shallow water, the waves are seen to bend in such a
manner that they seem to be traveling more perpendicular to the surface. If traveling from
shallow water to deep water, the waves bend in the opposite direction.

Diffraction of Waves
Diffraction involves a change in direction of waves as they pass
through an opening or around a barrier in their path. Water waves have the
ability to travel around corners, around obstacles and through openings. This
ability is most obvious for water waves with longer wavelengths. Diffraction
can be demonstrated by placing small barriers and obstacles in a ripple tank and
observing the path of the water waves as they encounter the obstacles. The
waves are seen to pass around the barrier into the regions behind it;
subsequently the water behind the barrier is disturbed. The amount of diffraction (the sharpness of
the bending) increases with increasing wavelength and decreases with decreasing wavelength. In
fact, when the wavelength of the waves is smaller than the obstacle, no noticeable diffraction
occurs.
Diffraction of water waves is observed in a harbor as waves bend around small boats and
are found to disturb the water behind them. The same waves however are unable to diffract around
larger boats since their wavelength is smaller than the boat. It is also observed in rice fields and
ponds when there is a surplus of water supply. Diffraction of sound waves is commonly observed;
we notice sound diffracting around corners, allowing us to hear others who are speaking to us from
adjacent rooms. Many forest-dwelling birds take advantage of the diffractive ability of long-
wavelength sound waves. Owls for instance are able to communicate across long distances due to
the fact that their long-wavelength hoots are able to diffract around forest trees and carry farther
than the short-wavelength tweets of songbirds. Diffraction is observed of light waves but only
when the waves encounter obstacles with extremely small wavelengths (such as particles
suspended in our atmosphere). The amount of diffraction increases with increasing wavelength.

Interference of Waves
Wave interference is the phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling
along the same medium. The interference of waves causes the medium to take on a shape that
results from the net effect of the two individual waves upon the particles of the medium. To begin
our exploration of wave interference, consider two pulses of the same amplitude traveling in
different directions along the same medium. Let's suppose that each displaced upward 1 unit at its
crest and has the shape of a sine wave. As the sine pulses move towards each other, there will
eventually be a moment in time when they are
completely overlapped. At that moment, the resulting
shape of the medium would be an upward displaced
sine pulse with an amplitude of 2 units. The diagrams
below depict the before and during interference
snapshots of the medium for two such pulses. The
individual sine pulses are drawn in red and blue and
the resulting displacement of the medium is drawn in
green.
There are two types of interference: constructive and destructive.

Constructive Interference
Constructive interference is a type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium
where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction. In this case, both waves
have an upward displacement; consequently, the medium has an upward displacement that is
greater than the displacement of the two interfering pulses. Constructive interference is observed

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at any location where the two interfering waves are displaced upward. But it is also observed when
both interfering waves are displaced downward. This is shown in the diagram on the right.
A sine pulse with a maximum
displacement of -1 unit (negative means a
downward displacement) interferes with a sine
pulse with a maximum displacement of -1 unit.
These two pulses are drawn in red and blue. The
resulting shape of the medium is a sine pulse with
a maximum displacement of -2 units.

Destructive Interference
Destructive interference is a type of interference that occurs at any location along the
medium where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the opposite direction. For
instance, when a sine pulse with a maximum
displacement of +1 unit meets a sine pulse with a
maximum displacement of -1 unit, destructive
interference occurs. This is depicted in the diagram
on the right.
Note that the interfering pulses have the same maximum displacement but in opposite
directions. The result is that the two pulses completely destroy each other when they are completely
overlapped. At the instant of complete overlap, there is no resulting displacement of the particles
of the medium. Destructive interference leads to only a momentary condition in which the
medium's displacement is less than the displacement of the largest-amplitude wave.
The two interfering waves do not need to have equal amplitudes in opposite directions for
destructive interference to occur. For example, a
pulse with a maximum displacement of +1 unit
could meet a pulse with a maximum displacement
of -2 units. The resulting displacement of the
medium during complete overlap is -1 unit.

This is still destructive interference since the two interfering pulses have opposite
displacements. In this case, the destructive nature of the interference does not lead to complete
cancellation. The meeting of two waves along a
medium does not alter the individual waves or
even deviate them from their path. This only
becomes an astounding behavior when it is
compared to what happens when two billiard balls
meet or two football players meet. Billiard balls
might crash and bounce off each other and football players might crash and come to a stop. Yet
two waves will meet, produce a net resulting shape of the medium, and then continue on doing
what they were doing before the interference.

The Principle of Superposition

The task of determining the shape of the resultant demands that the principle of
superposition is applied. The principle of superposition is sometimes stated as follows:
When two waves interfere, the resulting displacement of the medium at any location is
the algebraic sum of the displacements of the individual waves at that same location.

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 In the cases above, the summing the individual displacements for locations of complete
overlap was made out to be an easy task - as easy as simple arithmetic:

Displacement of Pulse 1 Displacement of Pulse 2 = Resulting Displacement

+1 +1 = +2
-1 -1 = -2
+1 -1 = 0
+1 -2 = -1
In actuality, the task of determining the complete shape of the entire medium during
interference demands that the principle of superposition be applied for every point (or nearly every
point) along the medium. As an example of the complexity
of this task, consider the two interfering waves at the right. A
snapshot of the shape of each individual wave at a particular
instant in time is shown. To determine the precise shape of
the medium at this given instant in time, the principle of
superposition must be applied to several locations along the
medium. A short cut involves measuring the displacement
from equilibrium at a few strategic locations. Thus,
approximately 20 locations have been picked and labeled as
A, B, C, D, etc. The actual displacement of each individual
wave can be counted by measuring from the equilibrium
position up to the particular wave. At position A, there is no
displacement for either individual wave; thus, the resulting
displacement of the medium at position will be 0 units. At position B, the smaller wave has a
displacement of approximately 1.4 units (indicated by the red dot); the larger wave has a
displacement of approximately 2 units (indicated by the blue
dot). Thus, the resulting displacement of the medium will be
approximately 3.4 units. At position C, the smaller wave has
a displacement of approximately 2 units; the larger wave has
a displacement of approximately 4 units; thus, the resulting
displacement of the medium will be approximately 6 units. At
position D, the smaller wave has a displacement of
approximately 1.4 units; the larger wave has a displacement
of approximately 2 units; thus, the resulting displacement of
the medium will be approximately 3.4 units. This process can
be repeated for every position. When finished, a dot (done in
green below) can be marked on the graph to note the displacement of the medium at each given
location. The actual shape of the medium can then be sketched by estimating the position between
the various marked points and sketching the wave. This is shown as the green line in the diagram.

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Complete the following concept map.

1 12
3

2 4 6 13

5
14

15
11

8
16

9 10

17

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Consider the following situation below. Write the answer only on a sheet of paper.
Situation 1: A pulse in a less dense medium is traveling towards the boundary with a more dense
medium.

1. The reflected pulse in medium 1 ________ (will, will not) be inverted because
_____________.
2. The speed of the transmitted pulse will be ___________ (greater than, less than, the same as)
the speed of the incident pulse.
3. The speed of the reflected pulse will be ______________ (greater than, less than, the same as)
the speed of the incident pulse.
4. The wavelength of the transmitted pulse will be ___________ (greater than, less than, the
same as) the wavelength of the incident pulse.
5. The frequency of the transmitted pulse will be ___________ (greater than, less than, the same
as) the frequency of the incident pulse.

Situation 2:
Several positions along the medium are labeled with a
letter. Categorize each labeled position along the medium
as being a position where either constructive or
destructive interference occurs.
Constructive:

Destructive:

DO NOT ANSWER ANYMORE

Read and do a research on the following and make a summary:

1. Principle of Superposition

Note: Cite you references used.

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a. Books

1. Physics Fundamentals 2 (2012). Serway, Raymond and Vuille, Chris. CENGAGE

Learning Philippine Edition
2. Giancoli, S. (2016). Physics Principles with Application. 7th Ed. Singapore.Pearon
Education
3. Navaza, D. Science and Technology: You and the Natural World Series; Physics
Textbook 2nd Edition. Phoenix Publishing House
4. Santisteban, CJ. (2009).Breaking Through Physics. C and E Publishing Inc.
5. Physics 11. Hirsch, Martindale, et.al. Thomson Learning Asia

b. Website

1. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-3/Reflection,-Refraction,-and-
Diffraction
2. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-3/Interference-of-Waves

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