WAVE

Wave is disturbance which can transfer energy without the particles of wave having to move from
one place to another.
Wave also known as carrier, which carries energy.

Types of Waves

1. Transverse Waves where the particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the
wave. Example, Light wave (electromagnetic wave), water wave, etc.

2. Longitudinal wave, are waves where the particles of the wave vibrate parallel to the direction of
propagation. Example, sound wave, and slinky spring.

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Definitions

1. Amplitude (A) is the maximum displacement of the particle from its equilibrium (rest) position. The
average displacement of vibration particles in wave motion is zero. Amplitude also determines the
amount of energy carry by the waves. The greater the amplitude, the greater the energy carry by
the waves.

Average Displacement
2+ −2 0
= = =0
2 2

2. Wavelength (λ) is the distance between two successive corresponding positions in a wave.
3. Period (T) is the time taken for one wave to pass any point.
4. Frequency (f) is a number of waves passing a point in one second. Unit Hertz (Hz) mean per second.

𝟏 𝟏
𝑻= 𝒇=
𝒇 𝑻

5. Velocity (𝝂) is how fast a wave is moving.

𝒗 = 𝒇𝝀

Example

1. 6 complete waves of wavelength 2.5 m pass a point in 1 second. Calculate the velocity of the wave.

2. 4 waves takes 12 seconds to pass through points, and these 4 waves fit in 20 cm. Calculate
i. The periods of the wave.
ii. The frequency
iii. Wavelength
iv. Speed of the wave.

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Wave fronts

Waves generated by a point source. This can be done by dipping s finger regularly in and out of the
water of a calm ripple tank. The waves travel outwards called wave fronts.
Wave fronts are at right angles to the direction in which the waves are travelling. A line in the
direction of a wave’s motion is called ray.

Sound Waves

 Travel through air as a series of longitudinal vibration of air molecules.

 Sound waves required a medium (substance) in which to travel. (Mechanical wave)
 Sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum.
 The speed of sound wave depending on the medium in which it travels. Approximately speed
In air is 330 m/s
In water is 1500 m/s
In metal is 5000 m/s.
 The greater the frequency of the sound wave, the greater the pitch of the sound.
 Sound waves produce echo, the sound wave reflects off a distant object. Besides the novelty of
hearing your words repeated, echoes can be used to estimate the distance of an object, its size,
shape and velocity, as well as the velocity of sound itself.

Electromagnetic Waves (Light waves)

 Electromagnetic waves have different wavelength and frequency, which transfer energy in the form
of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
 Electromagnetic waves all have the following common properties.
No medium is needed, so they can travel through a vacuum
They travel in a vacuum with a speed of 𝟑. 𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟖 m/s (symbol c), radiation waves.
All are transverse waves
They can diffracted and produce interference patterns
All carry energy from one place to another.
 Different frequencies of electromagnetic waves have different effects on matter, and so are used for
a wide variety of applications.

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Water Waves

Water waves known as surface waves because it’s moving along the surface rather than below the
surface. In the laboratory a ripple tank is used to study waves.

Reflection of water waves

Waves are reflected off barriers, obeying the same laws of reflection as light. Note that the angle of
incidence equals the angle of reflection

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Refraction of water waves
When water waves pass between a deep region and a shallow region they obey the law of
refraction. In the shallow region the waves velocity decrease (wavelength decrease and since
velocity = frequency x wavelength, velocity decrease since frequency remains constant)

Example

1. Water waves travelling at 5.0 cm/s and with a wavelength of 2.0cm are incident from deep water to
shallow water as shown in the diagram

Note: water wave refracted depending on the depth of the water. Deep water region is the less dense
medium where water waves move faster, and shallow water region is the denser medium where water
waves moving slower.

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REFLECTIONS AND TRANSMISSION OF WAVES

When waves move from one medium to another, some of the waves are reflected and some
are transmitted.

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Phase

Points along a wave that are undergoing similar motion at the same time are said to be in phase.
Points that are exactly out of phase are ones that are moving oppositely to each other. For travelling
waves, points in phase are a whole number of wavelengths apart and points exactly out of phase are
an odd number of ½ wavelengths apart.

In Phase

 When two waves travelling in the same medium at all times.

 Both travelling in the same direction.
 Both waves must have same frequency.
 Path difference (pd) between two waves is a whole number wavelength.

Out of Phase

 When two waves travelling in the different medium at all times.

 Both travelling in the different direction.
 Both waves must have different frequency.
 Path difference (pd) between two waves is NOT a whole number wavelength.

Exercise

Questions 1 to 4 use this diagram of a wave:

1. What is the amplitude?

2. What is the wavelength?

3. This wave has a frequency of 20Hz. What is its period?

4. What is the velocity of the wave?

5. A ship using an echo sounding device receives an echo from the bottom 0.8 s after the sound is emitted. If the velocity of
sound in water is 1500 m/s, what is the depth of water?

6. Orange light has a wavelength of 600 nm. Calculate the frequency if the speed of light in vacuum (c = 3 x 108 m/s).

7. A particular TV program is transmitted by electromagnetic wave of frequency 7.5 x 10 8 Hz, which travel at the speed of 3 x
108 m/s. Calculate the wavelength and period of the wave?

8. A man stands 200 m away from a foot of the hill and shouts. The echo is heard 1.2 seconds later. Calculate the speed of
sound in air.

9. A man standing 504 m from a cliff claps his hands and hears the echo 3 s later. Calculate the velocity of sound.

10. On the same grid below draw the wave B that would show the out of phase of A.

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Diffraction and Interference of Light Waves
Diffraction

Diffraction is the bending of a wave as it passes through gap (slit) or around barrier.
Diffraction, strongly suggests that light is in wave form.
Light, water and sound waves can be diffracting.
Diffraction depends on the wavelength of the wave.

Condition for diffraction to occur Note

 When the wavelength of the wave  If the wavelength of the wave is

is equal or greater than the size of less than the slit or barrier,
the slit or barrier. diffraction is very small.

Wave Interference
When two or more waves from individual slit pass through each other (overlap) , the
displacements of the medium caused by each individual wave combine to create a resultant wave.
This is known as interference.
If the waves that pass through each other are coherent (same frequency, wavelength and
amplitude) the resultant waves can form a clear regular pattern of troughs and crests. This is
known as an interference pattern.

Types of interference

1. Constructive Interference (reinforcement)

 Constructive interference happens when crest from one wave meet a crest from another wave or
trough meets a trough.
 Amplitude adds up (reinforce)
 Constructive interference, occurs when two waves are inphase.
 Path difference (pd) = 𝒏𝝀, where n = 0, 1, 2, 3….
 Light wave, is always bright fringes. Water wave is always rough. Sound wave is always loud.

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2. Destructive Interference (cancellation)
 Destructive interference happens when crest from one wave meet a trough from another wave.
 Amplitude of the waves is cancel to each other.
 Destructive interference, occurs when two waves are out of phase.
𝟏
 Path difference (pd) = (𝒏 − )𝝀, where n is a whole numbers, start from 1, 2, 3 ….
𝟐
 Light wave is always dark fringes. Water wave is always calm. Sound wave is always no sound (faint)

Superposition

Superposition principle, is the ability of waves to superimpose (add their displacement and their
energy) as they move through each other.
When two identical waves (same frequencies and same amplitude) moves in opposite direction and
overlaps, their amplitude will add up causing constructive interference.
Superposition always have resultant wave.

Example

When two identical waves (same frequencies and same amplitude) but reverse to each other
moving in opposite direction, their amplitude will cancel each other causing destructive
interference.

Note:

 Resultant shape of the two waves can be draw and label when wholly or partly superimpose.

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Standing Waves

When two identical waves of same frequency and amplitude pass through each other in opposite
direction, the results building up the amplitude and waveform stops moving resonate and produce
a standing wave. Resonance is when two waves with same frequencies add up the amplitude
producing standing waves.

Nodes (N) are the parts of the standing wave which remain at rest at all times

Antinodes (A) are parts of the standing wave which have the greatest displacement.

Musical instruments produce their sound by standing waves, like guitar, violin piano, etc.

Beats
 Beating is a regular pulsing or waves of the loudness of a sound which is heard when two sources
produce sounds of slightly different frequency.
 The frequency of the beats (𝑓𝐵 ) is equal to the difference between the frequencies of the two
sources (𝑓1 and 𝑓2)
𝒇𝑩 = 𝒇𝟏 − 𝒇𝟐

 When two sounds, with similar frequencies, are heard at the same time, beats are formed.
Beats can be useful in tuning musical instruments to a fixed note.

Young’s Double Slit Experiment.

In 1810, Thomas Young demonstrated that light passing through two small holes very close
together diffracts and interference and forms an interference pattern.

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 Diffraction and interference are the two properties of light that describe the wave nature of light.
 When a wave diffract through S1 and S2 they overlap. In their overlapping the two waves either add
up their amplitude (energy) or cancel each other. The point where two waves add up their energy is
called antinodal point (antinode) and the point where two waves cancel each other is called nodal
point (node). The line where two waves add up their energy is called Antinodal line (antinode) and
the line where two waves cancel each other is called Nodal line (node).This effect is INTERFERENCE
(SUPERPOSITION).
 Interference is fully supported by wave model of light because interference is cause by diffraction of
wave. Wave diffract while particle can’t. Interference cannot observe if using light waves from two
different sources. This is because light is emitted randomly from source (two waves are not
coherent). For interference to occur, light from the same wave must pass each time through both
slit. This means that the two sources must maintain a constant phase relationship. Light sources that
have same frequency and same phase are called COHERENT LIGHT. For light to be coherent, we used
Monochromatic Light (one light colour). Using of monochromatic light will have clear interference
and also clear interference pattern shows on the screen.
 Young originally use white light so the fringe pattern appears on the screen are made up of dark
fringes and colours of rainbow (bright fringes). The size of bright fringes depends on wavelength of
each colour, distance from slit to screen and the distance between slit 1 and slit 2. Red has greatest
wavelength so red bright fringe will be larger than any other coloured fringe (ROYGBIV).
 Nowadays Scientist modified young’s experiment by using MONOCHOROMATIC LIGHT instead of
white light. The effect is that the fringes will only dark and bright and also the width of each fringe
will be the same.

Formula for the interference of waves

For constructive interference, path difference is For destructive interference, path difference is

𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 = 𝒅𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 = 𝒏𝝀 =

𝒅𝒙 𝟏 𝒅𝒙
𝑳 𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 = 𝒅𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 = (𝒏 − )𝝀 =
𝟐 𝑳

𝜽 = angle between the fringe pattern and the normal or central line, C.

𝒅 = distance between the 2 slits.

𝑳 = distance between the slits and the screen

𝑪 = is the central line (central brightness), where order, n = 0

𝒙 = distance from any point on the screen to the central line.

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Example

1. In the diagram below, monochromatic light wavelength 600 nm passes through two slits 1.0 ×
10−5 m apart shine in to shines on to a screen 3 m away. T what angle to the central antinodal line is
the third bright fringe formed?

Solution

2. Find the position of the First bright band from the central bright band if n=1, d=1mm, L=2m and
wavelength =10-6 m.

Exercise: Waves interference

1. Two pulses approach each other as shown in the diagram below. On the grid below, draw the
resultant pulse when the above pulses are superimposed on each other.

2. Wave fronts are seen to cross a boundary from deep to shallow water as shown below. The arrow
shows the direction of the waves as they move from deep water to shallow water.

Use the information in the diagram above to

answer the questions that follow.

i. Determine the wavelength of the waves in

deep water
ii. Calculate the frequency of the waves in deep
water
iii. Find the velocity of the waves in shallow water

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3. The interference fringe pattern formed on a screen in a Young Double Slit experiment is shown in
the figure below. The screen is located 2.0m from the double slit. The slits are separated by a
distance of 1.0mm.
i. Calculate the wavelength of the light?

ii. What would happen to the interference fringe pattern if the slits were moved closer to the screen?
iii.Why does this experiment support the wave model of light rather than the particle model?
4. In a Young’s double slit experiment, the monochromatic light used is of wavelength 600 nm.
i. If the distance between the two slits is 0.50 mm and the screen distance from the double slit is 0.75
m, calculate the distance of the third bright band from the central maximum.
ii. What is the path difference of the light from the double slits to the second dark band?
5. Plane waves of frequency 5Hz in a ripple tank pass from one depth of water into another across a
boundary.

i. Label depth 1 and depth 2 as shallow or deep region.

ii. What is the wavelength of waves in Depth 1?
iii. Calculate the speed of waves in depth 1.
6. The set up shown below is used to obtain an interference pattern on a screen 3.5m away from the
slit. The slit separation is 2 mm.

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7. Two speakers placed 0.5 m apart are connected to a source of sound waves of frequency 500 Hz.
Take the speed of sound as 340 m/s.
i. Calculate the wavelength of the sound.
ii. Calculate the angle θ at which the point P is found.
iii. Along the line XY in front of the speakers a series of loud and faint sound can be heard. State ONE
way in which the distance between the loud sounds along the line can be decreased.

The Wave Nature of light

Light is part of electromagnetic wave. Electromagnetic wave is made up of two waves, which are
electric wave and magnetic wave fields moving perpendicular to each other.
Electromagnetic waves have different wavelength, frequency, energy BUT they travel in the same
speed, which is the speed of light, 𝒄 = 𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎𝟖 m/s.
Light can be described by TWO theory, which are Wave theory of light and Corpuscular theory of
light. Therefore light has two natures or dual natures.

Dual Natures of Light

Wave Nature (Energy nature) Corpuscular Nature (Particles nature)
 By Christiaan Huygens (later by Thomas Young)  By Sir Isaac Newton
 Light can be diffract or bends around barrier(s)  Light is rectilinear, travelling in straight line.
 Light can be interference, two or more waves  Light can be bounce off from a mirror
can be overlapping each other. (reflection).
 Light can be polarizing, it can be in different  Light can bend only when pass to another
planes, and due to the light rotates. medium (refraction)

The failure of the Corpuscular Theory.

Difference between Wave theory of light and Corpuscular theory of light

Wave Theory Corpuscular Theory
 Light travel in form of wave  Light consists of stream of extremely small
particles called corpuscles.
 The wave front of the wave propagation is  Particles travel in straight line
perpendicular to the direction of the waves
 Colour of light determine by the wavelength  Colour of light determine by the size of the
of the light particles
 The reflection and refraction of waves are  The reflection and refraction of light are
explained by the construction of the explained by attraction and repulsion of
secondary wavefronts. corpuscles by the medium
 It can explain the phenomena interference,  It cannot explain the phenomena of
diffraction and polarization of light. interference, diffraction and polarization of
light
 Proved that the velocity of light in denser  Predict that the velocity of light is greater in
medium is less than that in rarer medium denser medium than that in a rarer medium

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