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    Describing Waves With Graphs

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    eynestyne
    A displacement-position graph shows the displacement of particles at different positions along a wave at a single point in time. It can describe both transverse and longitudinal waves, showing properties like amplitude, wavelength, and locations of crests and troughs. A series of these graphs over time can reveal the speed and direction of a wave. Alternatively, a displacement-time graph shows how one particle's displacement varies over time at a fixed position, from which properties like amplitude, period, and direction of motion can be discerned. The phase of a wave describes its offset relative to another wave or a reference plane, and determines whether waves will interfere constructively, destructively, or partially when combined.

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    Describing Waves With Graphs

    Uploaded by

    eynestyne
    119 views4 pages
    A displacement-position graph shows the displacement of particles at different positions along a wave at a single point in time. It can describe both transverse and longitudinal waves, showing properties like amplitude, wavelength, and locations of crests and troughs. A series of these graphs over time can reveal the speed and direction of a wave. Alternatively, a displacement-time graph shows how one particle's displacement varies over time at a fixed position, from which properties like amplitude, period, and direction of motion can be discerned. The phase of a wave describes its offset relative to another wave or a reference plane, and determines whether waves will interfere constructively, destructively, or partially when combined.

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    A displacement-position graph shows the displacement of particles at different positions along a wave at a single point in time. It can describe both transverse and longitudinal waves, showing properties like amplitude, wavelength, and locations of crests and troughs. A series of these graphs over time can reveal the speed and direction of a wave. Alternatively, a displacement-time graph shows how one particle's displacement varies over time at a fixed position, from which properties like amplitude, period, and direction of motion can be discerned. The phase of a wave describes its offset relative to another wave or a reference plane, and determines whether waves will interfere constructively, destructively, or partially when combined.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    119 views4 pages

    Describing Waves With Graphs

    Uploaded by

    eynestyne
    A displacement-position graph shows the displacement of particles at different positions along a wave at a single point in time. It can describe both transverse and longitudinal waves, showing properties like amplitude, wavelength, and locations of crests and troughs. A series of these graphs over time can reveal the speed and direction of a wave. Alternatively, a displacement-time graph shows how one particle's displacement varies over time at a fixed position, from which properties like amplitude, period, and direction of motion can be discerned. The phase of a wave describes its offset relative to another wave or a reference plane, and determines whether waves will interfere constructively, destructively, or partially when combined.

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    Describing Waves with Graphs

    To study the motion of the vibrating particles on a wave, we draw graphs. Two types of graphs are commonly used: the displacement-position graphs and the displacement-time graphs. Displacement-position graphs A displacement-position graph is also called a displacement-distance graph. It shows the displacement of the particles at various positions at a certain time. Although it looks like a photograph of a transverse wave, it can be used to describe BOTH a transverse and a longitudinal wave (Figures a and b).

    Figure a Displacement-position graph of a transverse wave at t=0.

    Figure b Displacement-position graph of a longitudinal wave at t=0.

    From a displacement-position graph, we can directly read the following information:


    y y y

    amplitude of the wave wavelength of the wave locations of crests and troughs (for a transverse wave), or compressions and rarefactions (for a longitudinal wave)

    The displacement-position graph is especially useful to study a longitudinal wave. For example, look at the displacement of compression: it is zero unlike the crest. This is easy to notice on the graphs.

    Figure c Time series of displacement-position graphs of a wave.

    Using a series of displacement-position graphs at various time, we can see the motion of the wave (Figure c). By comparing the changes in these graphs, we can deduce the travelling speed and direction of the wave, as well as the time-varying directions of the motion of the vibrating particles.

    Displacement-Time Graphs Unlike a displacement-position graph, a displacement-time graph describes the displacement of ONE particle at various time at a certain position. Figure d shows how the displacements of particles P, Q, and R in Figure c vary with time. Each particle has its own displacement-time graph.

    Figure d Displacement-time graphs for particles at different positions.

    On the contrary, using a number of displacement-time graphs at various position, we can construct back the displacement-position graph of the wave at a certain time. From a displacement-time graph, we can directly read the following information:
    y y y

    amplitude of the wave period of the wave (and hence, the frequency) direction of motion of the particle at various time

    If we have a snapshot of the wave too, we can deduce from them the motion of the wave: its travelling speed and direction.

    Phase of Waves

    The phase of a wave is the offset of the wave measured in degrees to a plane or another wave. Figure e. shows two waves and the phase shift (difference)

    Figure e

    between each. There are three special cases of a wave s phase in comparison to another wave.

    Figure f shows these comparisons. When two or more waves are in phase their amplitude adds to create a larger wave. That is, an increase in amplitude. If the waves are partially out of phase , there is some addition and some subtraction. The third case occurs when the waves are completely out of phase , both waves
    Figure f

    cancel each other. These three effects are called interference. Figure g shows the result for each case. In the first case there is constructive interference. In the second case there is total destructive interference: the waves cancel. The third case there is partial destructive interference.
    Figure g

    Figure h shows a graph of amplitude and phase angle of two waves. Note that the angle is being measured from the plane to the apex of the crest of wave E1. There phase angle here is 90.The phase of E2 is approximately 180 from the plane. This makes is 90 out of phase with E1.

    Figure g

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