WAVES

Lecture 1 (2nd week)

Prepared by : Muhammad Saiful Badri Mansor

Topic Outlines

Terminology

Types

Transverse
Longitudinal
Equation,
Sound

wave
Introduction to

Wavefronts
Coherence
Path difference
Superposition
Phase relationship
Phase difference
Path difference

Terminology
Wave
Propagation
Mechanical/Electromagnetic

Wave
Longitudinal/Transverse Wave
Rarefactions and Reflection
Circular and plane, continuous,
trains and pulse.

WAVE is a disturbance travelling

through space.
Wave

transfers energy away from its source

loses energy!
A progressive wave carries energy from one
place to another without transferring any
material.

MECHANICAL WAVES
carry energy of oscillation
through medium

ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVES
carry energy of oscillation
without medium

Example : water wave

and sound wave

Example : the heat from

the sun

Type of waves
Transverse

wave the direction in which

disturbance take place is at right angles to
the direction in which wave travels.
Example : electromagnetic wave, ripples on water
and waves of ropes.

Longitudinal

wave the disturbances

take place in a direction parallel to the
direction of propagation of the wave.
Example : sound wave

Compressions??? Rarefactions???

Sound waves
The black dots represent
air molecules.
As the loudspeaker
vibrates, it causes the
surrounding molecules
to vibrate in a particular
pattern represented by
the waveform.
The vibrating air then
causes the listener's
eardrum to vibrate in
the same pattern.

A series of compression and rarefactions means

sound wave is a longitudinal wave

Wave Terminology

Plane waves
Circular waves

Wave equation

The

frequency is the inverse of the period,

Therefore,

Wave equation

Amplitude the maximum displacement of any point

on the wave.

Transverse wave the amplitude is the maximum

displacement from the centre (equilibrium) position.

Longitudinal wave the maximum displacement of

any point on the wave from the equilibrium position.

Quiz 1
1)
2)
3)

4)

Define the word propagation when

referring to waves.
What is the difference between a
continuous wave and a wave train?
How can plane waves be
considered to be a special case of
circular waves at a distance from
their source?
Differentiate transverse and
longitudinal waves.

Wavefronts
a surface of a propagating wave.
For example, the lines formed by
crests of ripples on a pond
correspond to curved wave
fronts.
Ray:The path taken by the
wave. This is used to indicate the
direction of wave propagation.
Rays are always at right angles
to the wave fronts (i.e. wave
fronts are always perpendicular
to the direction of propagation).

Coherence
Two

waves is said to be
coherence if they have
Same wavelength
Same frequency
Same phase

Superposition
Principle

of
Superposition: When
two or more waves of the
same type meet at a
point, the resultant
displacementof the
waves is equal to
thevector sumof their
individual displacements
at that point.

Interference
Phenomenon

that occurs when two waves meet

while traveling along the same medium.
The interference of waves causes the medium to
take on a shape that results from the net effect of
the two individual waves upon the particles of the
medium-superposition.
Constructive Interference
occurs when the net displacement after the superposition
of two waves is higher than the individual displacement
caused by either wave.
Destructive

Interference

occurs when the net displacement after the superposition

of two waves is lower than the individual displacement
caused by either wave.

Interference
Consider

two waves: A and B. Wave A and wave

B meet at a particular point at a particular time.
Wave A produces a displacementaat that point.
Wave B produces a displacementbat that point.
The net displacement at that point would be then
be equal toa+b.

Phase Relationship
Path Differenceis the difference

between the distance travelled by the

sources by two waves meeting at a
point.
measured in terms of wavelength

Phase Relationship
Phase

difference is the
difference between
some reference point
in 2 waves.
Two points on a wave
are in phase if they are
both at the same point
in the wave cycle.
Point in phase have
the same
displacement and
velocity.