Problem Set on Waves & Oscillations

1. When a plane wave traverses a medium, the displacement of particles is given by

All the factors are measured in SI system. Calculate

(a) Amplitude, wavelength, frequency and velocity of the wave.
(b) The phase difference between two positions of the same particle at a time interval of
seconds.
(c) The phase difference, at a given instant of time, between two particles m apart.

2. A transverse harmonic wave of amplitude m is generated at one end of a long

horizontal string by a tuning fork of frequency Hz. At a given instant of time, the
displacement of the particle at m is m and that of the particle at m is
m. Calculate the wavelength and the wave velocity. Obtain the equation of the wave assuming
that the wave is travelling along direction and that the end is at the equilibrium
position at .

3. Transverse waves are generated in two uniform steel wires A & B of diameters m and
m respectively, by attaching their free ends to a vibrating source of frequency Hz. Find
the ratio of the wavelengths if they are stretched with the same tension.

4. Compare the velocities of sound in H2 & CO2. The adiabatic indices are respectively .

5. In a laboratory experiment (room temperature being C), the wavelength of a note of sound
of frequency Hz is found to be m. If the density of air at STP is kgm-3, calculate the
ratio of the specific heats of air.

6. The intensity of sound in a normal conversation at home is about Wm-2 and the
frequency of normal human voice is about Hz. Find the amplitude of waves, assuming
that the air is at STP.

7. A long uniform string of length m and linear mass density kgm-1 is stretched with a
tension of N. Find the velocity, frequency & period of oscillation of the string.

8. A sound of frequency Hz is emitted from a source moving away from an observer and
moving towards a cliff at a speed of ms-1.
(a) Calculate the frequency of the sound which is coming directly from the source.
(b) Calculate the frequency of sound heard by the observer after reflection off the cliff.
Assume speed of sound in air to be ms-1.

9. An observer observes two moving trains; one reaching the station and the other one is leaving
the station with equal speeds ms-1. If each train whistles with a frequency of Hz, calculate
the number of beats heard by the observer.

10. You approach a stationary sound source with a speed such that the frequency of sound you
hear is greater than the actual frequency. At what speed, you are approaching towards the
source of sound? Take speed of sound in air to be ms-1.
11. An increase in pressure of kPa causes a certain volume of water to decease by of its
original volume. Calculate Bulk modulus & speed of sound in water under the mentioned
condition.

12. Two identical cars are driving toward one another. The driver of one car blows a horn of
frequency 512 Hz but hears the horn of the other car to have frequency 600 Hz. If the speed of
the first car is 26.8 ms-1, find the speed of the other car. (Speed of sound in air 345 ms -1).
13. A particle oscillates with SHM of an amplitude cm and a frequency of Hz. At time , the
particle is at its equilibrium position .
(a) Write down the equation describing the position of the particle as a function of time in
the form of with the numerical values of the parameters.
(b) What are the values of at s?

14. A particle vibrates with SHM of amplitude cm and a period of s. How long does it take to
move from one end of its path to a position cm from the equilibrium position on the same
side?

15. Show that the values of T, the period of the three SHMs in the following figure are in the
ratio .

16. A massless spring with no mass attached to it hangs from a rigid support. A mass is now
hung on the lower end of the spring. This mass is supported on a platform so the spring
remains relaxed. Now, the supporting platform is suddenly removed. The mass begins to
oscillate. The lowest position of the mass during the oscillation is cm below the place where it
was resting on the platform.
(a) What is the frequency of oscillation?
(b) What is the velocity when the mass is 2.5 cm below its initial resting point? (Take
cm/s2)

17. A small spherical steel ball is placed a little away from the centre of a concave mirror whose
radius of curvature is cm. When the ball is released, it begins to oscillate about the centre.
What is the period of oscillations? (Neglect friction & take cms-2)

18. A small pendulum is displaced from its mean position to a position untill the height of
above is m. It is then released. Calculate its velocity when it passes the point . (Neglect
friction & take cms-2)
19. A uniform spring of constant and a finite mass is loaded with a mass . If is not
negligible compared to , show that the period of vertical oscillation will be

20. A simple pendulum consists of a rod of mass and length which is pivoted at and carries a
mass at the other end as shown in the figure below. Using conservation of energy principle,
determine the frequency of the pendulum, if .
21. A solid circular cylinder radius and mass is connected to a spring of spring-constant as
shown in the following figure. Determine the frequency of horizontal oscillations of the system
if the cylinder
(a) Slips on the surface without rolling.
(b) Rolls on the surface without slipping.
Neglect the friction.

22. A particle is simultaneously subjected to two SHMs in the same direction, each having
frequency Hz. If the amplitudes are m and m respectively and the phase difference
between them is , find the resultant amplitude and resultant phase relative to the first
component. Hence write down the equation of resultant displacement as a function of time.

23. Two vibrations along the same line are described by the following equations:

where are measured in meters and in seconds. Obtain the equation describing the
resultant motion and hence find the beat period.

24. Two tuning forks A and B of nearly equal frequencies are employed in an optical experiment to
produce Lissajous figures. On slightly loading fork A, it is observed that the cycle of change of
figure slows down from s to s. If the frequency of fork B is Hz, determine of the
frequency of fork A before and after loading.

25. Two collinear SHMs, acting simultaneously on a particle are given by

where is expressed in cm and in seconds. Obtain the equation describing the resultant
motion as a function of time.

26. A massless spring, suspended from a rigid support, carries a flat disc of mass g at its lower
end. It is observed that the system oscillates with a frequency of Hz and the amplitude of the
damped oscillations reduces to half of its un-damped value in one minute. Calculate
(a) The resistive force constants.
(b) The relaxation time of the system.
(c) Its quality factor.
(d) The force constant of the spring.

27. The system shown in the following figure is subjected to a resistive force where is a
constant and is the velocity. The system is at rest initially when a velocity of cms-1 is given
to it. If Nm-1, kg and N-sm-1, determine the subsequent displacement and
velocity of the mass.
28. The system shown in the following figure is subjected to a resistive force where is a
constant and is the velocity. The amplitude of vertical oscillations of the system decreases
to of the initial value after five consecutive cycles of oscillations. Determine if Nm-1
and kg.

29. An object of mass kg is hung from a spring of spring-constant Nm-1. A resistive force
proportional to first power of the velocity acts on the object, where N-sm-1. The
object is subjected to a harmonic driving force where N and rads-1. In
the steady state, what are the amplitude of oscillations and the phase relative to that of the
applied force? Also find the quality factor and the time at which the energy of the system falls
to of its initial value.

30. An object of mass kg hangs from a spring of negligible mass. The spring is extended by cm
when the object is attached. The top end of the spring is oscillated up & down in SHM with an
amplitude of mm. The quality factor of the spring is and ms-2.
(a) What is the angular frequency of the free un-damped oscillations?
(b) What is the amplitude of forced oscillations at ?