Problems

1) The figure shows the displacement y of a traveling wave at a given position as a function
of time and the displacement of the same wave at a given time as a function of position.
How fast is the wave traveling? Rta 0.75 m/s

2) The vertical displacement y(x,t) of a string stretched along the horizontal x-axis is given
by y(x,t) = (6.00 mm) cos[(3.25 m-1)x - (7.22 rad/s)t].
(a) What is the minimum time for each complete cycle of the wave?
(b) What is the distance between adjacent crests of the wave?
(c) How fast does this wave travel?
Answer: (a) 0.870 s (b) 1.93 m (c) 2.22 m/s

3) A transverse wave is traveling on a string stretched along the horizontal x-axis. The
equation for the vertical displacement y of the string is given by y = 0.0020 cos[π(15x -
52t)], where all quantities are in SI units. The maximum speed of a particle of the string is
closest to: Rta 0.33 m/s.

4) Find the speed of an ocean wave whose vertical displacement y as a function of time t is
given by y(x,t) = 3.7 cos(2.2x - 5.6t), where all quantities are in SI units. Rta 2.5 m/s

5) Waves travel along a 100-m length of string which has a mass of 55 g and is held taut
with a tension of 75 N. What is the speed of the waves? Rta 370 m/s

6) A 6.00-m long rope is under a tension of 600 N. Waves travel along this rope at 40.0
m/s. What is the mass of the rope? Rta 2.25 kg

7) The density of aluminum is 2700 kg/m3. If transverse waves propagate at 34 m/s in a

4.6-mm diameter aluminum wire, what is the tension on the wire? Rta 52 N

8) A 6.0-m wire with a mass of 50 g, is under tension. A transverse wave, for which the
frequency is 810 Hz, the wavelength is 0.40 m, and the amplitude is 4.0 mm, is propagating
on the wire. The time for a crest of this wave to travel the length of the wire is closest to
Rta 19 ms
9) A 8.0-m long wire with a mass of 10 g is under tension. A transverse wave for which the
frequency is 570 Hz, the wavelength is 0.10 m, and the amplitude is 3.7 mm is propagating
on the wire. The maximum transverse acceleration of a point on a wire is closest to:
Rta 47,000 m/s2.

10) A heavy stone of mass m is hung from the ceiling by a thin 8.25-g wire that is 65.0 cm
long. When you gently pluck the upper end of the wire, a pulse travels down the wire and
returns 7.84 ms later, having reflected off the lower end. The stone is heavy enough to
prevent the lower end of the wire from moving. What is the mass m of the stone?
Rta 35.6 kg