Chapter 15

Mechanical Waves
Modifications by
Mike Brotherton
PowerPoint® Lectures for
University Physics, Thirteenth Edition
– Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman

Lectures by Wayne Anderson

Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education Inc.
 Goals for Chapter 15
• To study the properties and varieties of mechanical waves
• To relate the speed, frequency, and wavelength of periodic waves
• To interpret periodic waves mathematically
• To calculate the speed of a wave on a string
• To calculate the energy of mechanical waves
• To understand the interference of mechanical waves
• To analyze standing waves on a string
• To investigate the sound produced by stringed instruments

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 Introduction
• Earthquake waves carry
enormous power as they
travel through the earth.
• Other types of mechanical
waves, such as sound
waves or the vibration of
the strings of a piano, carry
far less energy.
• Overlapping waves
interfere, which helps us
understand musical
instruments.

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 Types of mechanical waves
• A mechanical wave is a disturbance traveling through a medium.
• Figure 15.1 below illustrates transverse waves and longitudinal
waves.

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 Periodic waves

• For a periodic wave, each particle of the medium

undergoes periodic motion.
• The wavelength  of a periodic wave is the length
of one complete wave pattern.
• The speed of any periodic wave of frequency f is
v = f.

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 Periodic transverse waves
• For the transverse waves shown
here in Figures 15.3 and 15.4, the
particles move up and down, but
the wave moves to the right.

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 Periodic longitudinal waves
• For the longitudinal waves shown
here in Figures 15.6 and 15.7, the
particles oscillate back and forth
along the same direction that the
wave moves.
• Follow Example 15.1.

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 Mathematical description of a wave
• The wave function, y(x,t), gives a
mathematical description of a wave. In
this function, y is the displacement of a
particle at time t and position x.
• The wave function for a sinusoidal
wave moving in the +x-direction is
y(x,t) = Acos(kx – t), where k = 2π/
is called the wave number.
• Figure 15.8 at the right illustrates a
sinusoidal wave.

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 Graphing the wave function

• The graphs in Figure 15.9 to

the right look similar, but they
are not identical. Graph (a)
shows the shape of the string
at t = 0, but graph (b) shows
the displacement y as a
function of time at t = 0.

• Follow Example 15.2.

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 Particle velocity and acceleration in a sinusoidal wave
• The graphs in Figure 15.10 below show the velocity and
acceleration of particles of a string carrying a transverse
wave.

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 The speed of a wave on a string

• Follow the first method

using Figure 15.11 above.
• Follow the second method
using Figure 15.13 at the
right.
• The result is v = F
m.

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 Calculating wave speed
• Follow Example 15.3 and refer to Figure 15.14 below.

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 Power in a wave
• A wave transfers power along a string because it transfers
energy.
• The average power is proportional to the square of the
amplitude and to the square of the frequency. This result is
true for all waves.
• Follow Example 15.4.

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 Wave intensity
• The intensity of a wave is the
average power it carries per unit
area.
• If the waves spread out uniformly in
all directions and no energy is
absorbed, the intensity I at any
distance r from a wave source is
inversely proportional to r2: I  1/r2.
(See Figure 15.17 at the right.)
• Follow Example 15.5.

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 Boundary conditions
• When a wave reflects
from a fixed end, the
pulse inverts as it
reflects. See Figure
15.19(a) at the right.
• When a wave reflects
from a free end, the
pulse reflects without
inverting. See Figure
15.19(b) at the right.

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 Wave interference and superposition
• Interference is the
result of overlapping
waves.
• Principle of super-
position: When two
or more waves
overlap, the total
displacement is the
sum of the displace-
ments of the
individual waves.
• Study Figures 15.20
and 15.21 at the
right.
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 Standing waves on a string
• Waves traveling in opposite directions on a taut string
interfere with each other.
• The result is a standing wave pattern that does not move
on the string.
• Destructive interference occurs where the wave
displacements cancel, and constructive interference
occurs where the displacements add.
• At the nodes no motion occurs, and at the antinodes the
amplitude of the motion is greatest.
• Figure 15.23 on the next slide shows photographs of
several standing wave patterns.
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 Photos of standing waves on a string
• Some time exposures of standing waves on a stretched string.

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 The formation of a standing wave
• In Figure 15.24, a
wave to the left
combines with a
wave to the right
to form a standing
wave.
• Refer to Problem-
Solving Strategy
15.2 and follow
Example 15.6.

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 Normal modes of a string
• For a taut string fixed at
both ends, the possible
wavelengths are n = 2L/n
and the possible frequencies
are fn = n v/2L = nf1, where
n = 1, 2, 3, …
• f1 is the fundamental
frequency, f2 is the second
harmonic (first overtone), f3
is the third harmonic
(second overtone), etc.
• Figure 15.26 illustrates the
first four harmonics.
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 Standing waves and musical instruments
• A stringed instrument is tuned to the correct frequency
(pitch) by varying the tension. Longer strings produce bass
notes and shorter strings produce treble notes. (See Figure
15.29 below.)
• Follow Examples 15.7 and 15.8.

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