This document provides instructions and questions for an examination on wave theory. It includes 5 questions, with Section A containing 4 multi-part questions worth 20 marks each and Section B containing 2 multi-part questions worth 15 marks each. The questions cover topics such as superposition of waves, wave equations, oscillatory motion, resonance, and coupled oscillators. Students are instructed to attempt all of Section A and two questions from Section B.
This document provides instructions and questions for an examination on wave theory. It includes 5 questions, with Section A containing 4 multi-part questions worth 20 marks each and Section B containing 2 multi-part questions worth 15 marks each. The questions cover topics such as superposition of waves, wave equations, oscillatory motion, resonance, and coupled oscillators. Students are instructed to attempt all of Section A and two questions from Section B.
This document provides instructions and questions for an examination on wave theory. It includes 5 questions, with Section A containing 4 multi-part questions worth 20 marks each and Section B containing 2 multi-part questions worth 15 marks each. The questions cover topics such as superposition of waves, wave equations, oscillatory motion, resonance, and coupled oscillators. Students are instructed to attempt all of Section A and two questions from Section B.
This document provides instructions and questions for an examination on wave theory. It includes 5 questions, with Section A containing 4 multi-part questions worth 20 marks each and Section B containing 2 multi-part questions worth 15 marks each. The questions cover topics such as superposition of waves, wave equations, oscillatory motion, resonance, and coupled oscillators. Students are instructed to attempt all of Section A and two questions from Section B.
Instructions Attempt all questions in section A and any other two in section B. All questions in section A carry 20 marks each while each question in section B carries 15 marks each.
SECTION A
Question One.
a)
i) State the principle of superposition of waves or oscillations and state
why the response of the medium to the resultant disturbance is said to be linear? [3mark]
b) Consider two oscillations of vertical disturbance y1(t) and y2(t)
respectively , with same frequency but different amplitudes and phases.
Derive an equation for the resultant disturbance after superposition
y(t) = y1(t) + y2(t) [4marks]
c) What will be the amplitude A and phase φ of the resultant disturbance
in (b) when
Page 1 of 5 i) The two disturbances y1 (t) and y2 (t) have the same amplitude and phase (A1 = A2 , φ1 =φ2)? [4marks]
ii) The two disturbances have the same amplitude and a phase difference of π radians (A1 = A2, φ2 = φ1 – π)? [2marks]
d) Given two waves with the same amplitude A0 traveling in the same medium with angular frequencies ω1 and ω2 respectively, show that the sum of the these waves can be expressed as a product of two waves one with average frequency ωav = (ω1 +ω2 )/2 and one with modulation frequency ωmod = (ω1 - ω2)/2 [3 marks]
Which of these components is slower than the other? [1mark]
e)
i) Discuss what is meant by phase and group velocities and show how the two relate in a non-dispersive medium [3marks]
ii) Derive and expression for the group velocity vg as a function of
wavelength [3marks]
Question Two a)
i) What are the differences and similarities between wave motion and oscillatory motion? [2marks]
ii) Write mathematical expressions to describe a wave and an oscillation
[2 marks]
b) Determine the phase and amplitude in the following oscillating
motions
i) 𝒁 = 𝒆𝒊𝝎𝒕− 𝜶 [2marks]
ii) 𝒁 = 𝒊𝒆𝒊𝝎𝒕 [2marks]
iii) 𝒁 = −𝟐𝒆𝒊𝝎𝒕 [2marks]
Page 2 of 5 c) A spring with constant 56,0 N/m has a small mass 1.00Kg attached to its end. The mass is pulled +5.5 cm from the equilibrium position and pushed so that it receives an initial velocity of -0.32m/s.
i) What is the equation of motion of this oscillator? [3marks]
ii) What is the amplitude of the oscillator? [2marks]
d)
i) Write down the wave equation in an elastic medium and explain what each parameter in the equation represents [1mark]
ii) Show that a function of the form f(x-vt) is a solution to the wave equation. [2marks]
e) If y = Acosk(x+vt),
i) Determine the speed of propagation of the wave and [1mark]
ii) The frequency of the wave if the medium is non-dispersive [1mark]
SECTION B
Question Three
a) Describe damping of oscillatory motion and give two examples of its
uses. [3marks]
b) Consider a forced harmonic oscillator with damping and derive
equations for the amplitude A(ω) and phase 𝜹 𝝎 as a function of the driving frequency ω 5marks]
c) Given a damped oscillator with m = 0.2 kg, b = 4Nm-1 s and k = 80N/m.
If the oscillator is driven by a force 𝑭 = 𝑭𝟎 𝑪𝒐𝒔𝝎𝒕, what is the value of amplitude A and phase 𝜹 of the steady state response? [4marks]
d) How much energy is dissipated against the resistive force in one cycle? [3marks]
Page 3 of 5 Question Four
a)
i) What is meant by resonance? [1mark]
II) Give four examples of physical resonators and state the parameters that characterize a resonance in each of the given physical systems [4marks]
b) Consider an electrical circuit consisting of an inductor of inductance L,
connected in series with a capacitor of capacitance C, and a resistor of resistance R. What is the quality factor of the circuit in terms of the circuit elements? [3marks]
c) If the circuit in (b) is driven by a time dependent voltage 𝑽 = 𝑽𝟎 𝒆𝒊𝝎𝒕 ,
use phasor analysis to
i) Obtain the peak current I0 and phase difference between Vs and VR
[3marks]
ii) Determine the frequency at which the current I is maximal [1mark]
d) Discuss transient behavior in driven harmonic oscillator with damping
and show that at the resonant frequency 𝝎𝒇 = 𝝎𝒐 , the displacement 𝑭𝟎 𝜸𝒕 X(t) can expressed as 𝑿 𝒕 = 𝟏 − 𝒆− 𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝝎𝟎 𝒕 . 𝒎𝝎𝟎 𝜸
Plot the variation of X(t) with time and highlight the key features [4marks]
Question Five
Incident and reflected waves travel in string A, while transmitted wave
travels in string B. String A and B have mass density 𝝁1 and 𝝁2 respectively. Both are under constant tension T. In string A, wave travels at speed v1 while in string B, wave travels at speed v2
(a) Write down the complex-number version of plane wave, moving to the 𝒗 right with speed . [3 points] 𝟐
Page 4 of 5 (b) Next, write down the complex number representations of incident, reflected, and transmitted waves in the case of two strings (string A and string B) joined to each other at a junction (located at x = 0). [3 marks]
(c) Based on physical intuition, what would happen to the transmitted
wave when string B has mass density much larger than the mass density of string A? [2marks]
d) Describe fully the in-phase and out of phase motions of two coupled oscillators made up of spring-mass systems of equal mass and spring constant k and coupled by a spring of spring constant k 12, when set in free vibrations. [4marks]
e) If the coupling of two coupled pendulums of mass 1.50g and length
75cm is represented by a spring of spring constant k =0.1N/m2, calculate the frequency gap between the normal modes of the two pendulums. (Assume g = 10ms-2) [3marks]
