Unit# 10- General properties of waves

Q1: Define the term transverse wave?

Ans: Transverse waves are waves that travel in a direction perpendicular to the
direction of wave motion. It consists of crest and trough.

Example: Water waves, rope waves, seismic waves, radio waves, light waves etc.

Q2: Define the term longitudinal waves?

Ans: Longitudinal waves are waves that travel in a direction parallel to the direction of
wave motion. It consist of compression and rarefaction

Example: sound waves, spring waves etc.

Q3 (a: Write a short note on the mechanical wave.

Ans: Mechanical waves are such waves that need a medium for propagation. They
cannot travel through the vacuum. All mechanical waves travel through their media at
different speeds depending upon the physical properties of the respective medium, the
medium can be solid, liquid and gas. Like sound waves travel faster in solids, slower in
liquid and slowest in gases. Mechanical waves consist of both transverse and
longitudinal waves.

Example: Sound waves, Water waves, Seismic waves etc.

Q3 (b: How can you say that mechanical waves are also material waves?

Ans: Mechanical waves always need a medium for propagation, and the medium can
be any material. Due to this reason we can say that mechanical waves are material
waves.

Q4: Waves are the means of energy transfer without matter. Justify this statement
with the help of everyday life examples.

Ans: Waves are disturbance in the medium that transfers energy from one place to
another without the transfer of matter.

Examples:

1. If, we beat a drum it will produce sound waves. These sound waves will carry
sound energy and travel everywhere around the drum but the drum will stay at its
position, it will not travel along the sound waves.
 2. When you see a light bulb illuminated in a dark room, the light travels through the
air to reach your eyes. There's no physical transfer of matter from the bulb to
your eyes, yet you perceive the light and the energy it carries.

Q5 (a: Define the following terms of a wave:

I. amplitude

II. period

III. frequency

IV. wavelength

Ans: Amplitude: Amplitude is the maximum displacement moved by a point on a

vibrating body from the rest or mean position.

Period: The time required by a wave to complete one vibration or oscillation about its
mean position is called time period.

It is denoted by “T”, it has an inverse relation with frequency which is given as:

1
T=
f

S.I unit of time period is second (sec).

Frequency: Frequency is the number of complete waves produced by a source in one

second. S.I unit of frequency is hertz (Hz). It is the reciprocal of time period and is
denoted by “f".

Wavelength: Wavelength is the linear distance between two successive crests and
troughs in a transverse wave and two successive compressions and rarefactions in a
longitudinal wave. Its S.I unit is meter. It is denoted by “λ”.

Q5 (b: Derive the formula of wave speed, v = fλ

Ans: Derivation:

By using the formula of linear velocity we have:

S
v=
t
Let us consider for a wave, Distance travelled = λ and time is taken = T, then

λ
v=
T

The above equation can also be written as

1
v= ×λ
T

1
Since, f = the above equation will become
T

v = fλ

Q6 (a: What is a ripple tank, and explain its working?

Ans: Ripple tank: A ripple tank is a shallow glass tank of water used to demonstrate the
basic properties of waves.

Working of ripple tank: We can produce water waves with the ripple tank. In the ripple
tank, a small vibrator moves up and down the water surface, resulting in the water
particles at the surface that are in contact with the dipper being made to move up and
down. This up and down motion soon spread to other parts of the water surface in the
tank in the form of ripples. Here the water is the medium through which the ripples
travel or propagate.

Q6 (b: Define the wavefront?

Ans: Wavefront: The wavefront is an imaginary line on a wave that joins all points that
are in the same phase.

Q7: Reference an experiment to explain the refraction of waves concerning the ripple
tank.

Ans: If we place a barrier in the ripple tank in such a way that we get two portions of
different depths.

I. Deep water

II. Shallow water

The wavelength of the plane waves shortens changes direction and speed. But the
frequency remains same because the waves will have the same frequency as of
viberator
Q8: What is the phenomenon of diffraction?

Ans: The spreading of the waves near an obstacle is called diffraction. When an
obstruction with a gap is placed in the path of waves in ripple tank, waves striking the
obstacle will spread out as they pass through the gap. Wider gaps produce less
diffraction.

Q9 (a: What is simple harmonic motion?

Ans: It is a type of oscillatory motion in which a body oscillates about a fixed position
known as mean position and its acceleration is directly proportional to its displacement
from mean position.

Mathematicaly:

a ∝ -x

a = -k x

Here k is a constant known as spring constant and the – sign shows that acceleration is
always directed towards mean position.

Q9 (b: What are the necessary conditions for a body to execute simple harmonic
motion?

Ans: Conditions for a body to execute simple harmonic motion:

(i) There must be elastic restoring force acting on the system.

(ii) The system must have inertia.

(iii) The acceleration of the system should be directly proportional to its

displacement and is always directed to mean position.
Q10 (a: With the help of a diagram, explain SHM in the pendulum.

Ans: Consider a simple pendulum consisting of a metallic bob of mass "m" connected
by an inextensible string of length “l”. If the pendulum is disturbed from its mean
position it starts vibrating between two extreme positions. Let at any instant "t" the bob
be at point P and at this point two forces are acting on the bob.

(i) The force of gravity= Fg = mg

 (ii) Tension in the string = T

The force of gravity is the weight of the bob and can be resolved into two components.
(i) (Fg.)ll= mg Cosθ, along the string (it) (Fg.)⊥ = mg Sin θ, perpendicular to the string. For
string the component of mg Cosθ which is perpendicular to the string is canceled out by
the tension in the string. Thus net force acting on the string is mg Sin θ. As a result
pendulum vibrates from its mean position to extreme positions and its acceleration is
directly proportional to the displacement and is directed towards mean position, hence
it executes SHM.

Time period of simple pendulum is affected by length and acceleration due to gravity.
The period is independent of mass and amplitude. Formula for its time period is given
as:

l
T = 2π
g

Q10 (b: The period of simple pendulum executing SHM gives the formula

l
T = 2π
g

What will be the effect of the period if there is an increase in its

i) length ii) mass.

Ans: Length: The length of the simple pendulum is directly proportional to time period;
hence if we increase the length of string, the time period will also increase.

Mass: The mass of the bob has no effect on the time period of simple pendulum,
so if we increase the mass of the bob the time period will remain same.

Q11 (a: With the help of a diagram, explain SHM in the ball and bowl
system.

Ans: Ball and bowl system: Let us examine that the motion of a ball
placed in a bowl executes simple harmonic motion. When the ball is
placed at the mean position 'O', that is, at the center of the bowl. In this
position the net force acting on the ball is zero. Hence there is no motion. If we displace
the ball to an extreme position 'A' and then release it. The ball starts moving towards the
mean position 'O' due to the restoring force caused by its weight component. At
position 'O' the ball gets maximum speed and due to inertia, it moves towards opposite
extreme position 'B' with the restoring force that acts towards the mean position, the
speed of the ball starts to decrease. The ball stops for a while at 'B' and then again
moves towards the mean position 'O'. This ball's to and fro motion continues about the
mean position 'O' .Also the more the displacement of ball from mean position, the more
acceleration of the ball. This result shows that the acceleration of the ball is directed
towards mean position 'O' and directly proportional to displacement from ‘O’ .Hence, the
ball's to and fro motion about a mean position place in a bowl is also an example of
simple harmonic motion

Q11 (b: Why is the motion of a ball in the bowl executing SHM maximum at its
equilibrium position?

Ans: At equilibrium position the motion of ball is maximum due to inertia. The ball
moves to and fro with the restoring force acting towards mean (equilibrium) position.
Also its kinetic energy is maximum at mean position.

Q12 (a: What are damped oscillations?

Ans: The oscillations of a system in the presence of some resistive forces are damped
oscillations.

Q12 (b: How does damping progressively reduce the amplitude of oscillation?

Ans: The frictional force reduces the mechanical energy of the system, the motion is
said to be damped and this damping progressively reduces the amplitude of the
oscillation.

Q12 (c: A boy is swinging in the swing. Explain why its amplitude reduces
progressively with time.

Ans: The swing will face frictional force due to air, this frictional force will cause
damping in the motion of swing, due to which the amplitude of the swing will reduces
progressively with time.