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Lecture 5

This document summarizes key concepts from Lecture 5 on wave equations and wave speed: 1) The wave equation can be derived from the physics of a vibrating string, relating the displacement of the string at a point over time to its mass density and tension. 2) Wave speed depends on properties of the medium, specifically the square root of the ratio of tension to linear mass density for a string. 3) Phase velocity describes the speed of the peaks/troughs of a wave, while group velocity describes the speed at which the envelope of a wave packet propagates.

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38 views

Lecture 5

This document summarizes key concepts from Lecture 5 on wave equations and wave speed: 1) The wave equation can be derived from the physics of a vibrating string, relating the displacement of the string at a point over time to its mass density and tension. 2) Wave speed depends on properties of the medium, specifically the square root of the ratio of tension to linear mass density for a string. 3) Phase velocity describes the speed of the peaks/troughs of a wave, while group velocity describes the speed at which the envelope of a wave packet propagates.

Uploaded by

anshkumar20052007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 5

(Wave Equation and Wave Speed)


Physics 2310-01 Spring 2020
Douglas Fields
Wave Equation
• Let’s look at our displacement solutions, and
some of its derivatives:
Wave Equation
• Let’s look at our displacement solutions, and
some of its derivatives:
Wave Equation
• And we can put these together:

WAVE EQUATION – very important


General Solution
• Although we have only looked at periodic
solutions to the wave equation so far, the
general solution is:

• In other words, ANY function that moves at


the wave speed in either the plus or minus
x-direction (one dimensional case).
General Solution
• Proof:
Wave Equation Derivation
• In the previous slides, we started with our wave
functions, and just “accidentally” happened upon
a differential equation whose solutions were the
functions.
• Can we start with what we know about the
physics of a string and derive the wave equation?
• Let’s start with a deformed string of unknown
shape, and mass density (mass/length) of μ.
Wave Equation Derivation
• Examine the vertical forces on a small length (Δx)
of the string:
y
TR

TL
Δx x
Wave Equation Derivation
y
TR

• Simple derivation:
TL
x
Δx
Experiments with Strings
• Let’s compare some wave speeds with
different density strings and different
tensions:
Wave Speed(s)
• Let’s look at a wave and you tell me what it’s
speed is:

By Kraaiennest - Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3651297

• How about this one:

By Geek3 - Own work;This mathematical image was created with Mathematica, CC BY 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14772688
Phase Velocity vs Group Velocity
• The phase velocity is just given as

• The group velocity is


Phase Velocity vs Group Velocity
• If ω is directly proportional to k, then the
phase and group velocities are the same:

• The function ω(k), which gives ω as a function


of k, is known as the dispersion relation.
Dispersion
• Because of the dependence of the phase
velocity on frequency, the group envelope will
get distorted with time:
Chromatic Dispersion
• For instance, if the wave velocity depends on
the wavelength such that v = c/n, and n depends
on the wave number , then:

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