Vibrations and Waves

Vibrations
Anything that moves back and forth, to

and fro, from side to side, in and out, or
up and down is vibrating.
Vibration is a wiggle in time

Wave
It extends from one location to another.
Think of this!
Ocean wave
If you have ever watched ocean waves moving toward shore (and before they break), you
may have wondered if the waves were carrying water from out at sea and into the beach.
This is, in fact, not the case! Water waves move with recognizable velocity. But each
particle of the water itself merely oscillates (vibrate) about an equilibrium point.
Thus disturbance propagates but not the water molecules itself, rather it only oscillates.
Wave is a wiggle in space and time

Relationship between vibration and
wave
traces out a sine curve
on the paper that
Vibration of bob moves horizontally at
constant speed.
Vibration and Wave
Description:
• Vibration
described by amplitude and frequency—how frequently
vibratory motion occurs
• Wave
described by frequency, speed, amplitude, and
wavelength
characteristics of a Wave
• crests
– high points of the wave
• troughs
– low points of the wave
characteristics of a Wave
• amplitude
– distance from the midpoint to crest or trough
• wavelength
– distance from the top of one crest to the top of the next crest, or
distance between successive identical parts of the wave
Vibrations and Waves
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
The distance between adjacent peaks in the direction of travel

for a transverse wave is its
A. frequency.
B. period.
C. wavelength.
D. amplitude.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
The distance between adjacent peaks in the direction of travel

for a transverse wave is its
A. frequency.
B. period.
C. wavelength.
D. amplitude.
Explanation:
Or between adjacent troughs or any adjacent identical parts of the
waveform.
Vibration and Wave
Frequency
number of to-and-fro vibrations in a given time
unit: 1 vibration per second = 1 Hertz
Period
defined as the time it takes for a complete
vibration
unit: any unit of time, often the second
Vibration and Wave
Note:
Frequency = 1/period
Unit: Hertz (Hz)
Period = 1/frequency
Unit: second (s)
The source of all waves is a vibration.
Higher frequency means increased rate of energy

transfer — shorter wavelengths.
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
If the frequency of a particular wave is 20 Hz, its period is
A. 1/ second.
20
B. 20 seconds.
C. more than 20 seconds.
D. none of the above.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
If the frequency of a particular wave is 20 Hz, its period is
A. 1/ second.
20
B. 20 seconds.
C. more than 20 seconds.
D. none of the above.
Explanation:
Note when  = 20 Hz, T = 1/ = 1/(20 Hz) = 1/20 second.
Wave Motion
Wave speed
• how fast a disturbance moves through a medium
• related to the frequency and wavelength of a wave
Example:
 a wave with wavelength 1 meter and frequency of
1 Hz has a speed of 1 m/s
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves
• Longitudinal wave - wave particles vibrate

back
• and forth along the path that the wave travels.
•Transverse wave - wave particles vibrate back

and forth perpendicular to the path that the
wave travels.
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
The vibrations along a transverse wave move in a direction
A. along the wave.

B. perpendicular to the wave.
C. Both of the above.
D. Neither of the above.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
The vibrations along a transverse wave move in a direction
A. along the wave.

B. perpendicular to the wave.
C. Both of the above.
D. Neither of the above.
Explanation:
The vibrations in a longitudinal wave, in contrast, are along (or parallel
to) the direction of wave travel.
The Nature of Sound
Sound
travels in longitudinal waves — vibrating
compressions and rarefactions through air
Speed of Sound
Sound travels at 340 m/s in air at 20°C
The Nature of Sound
A situation to ponder…
Consider a person attending a concert being broadcast over the

radio, sitting about 45 m from the stage. The person listens to
the radio broadcast with a transistor radio over one ear and the
nonbroadcast sound signal with the other ear. Further suppose
that the radio signal must travel all the way around the world
before reaching the ear.
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
Which signal will be heard first?
A. Radio signal.
B. Nonbroadcast sound signal.
C. Both at the same time.
D. None of the above.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
Which signal will be heard first?

A. Radio signal.
B. Nonbroadcast sound signal.
C. Both at the same time.
D. None of the above.
Explanation:
A radio signal travels at the speed of light—3  108 m/s.
Time to travel 45 m at 340 m/s ≈ 0.13 s.
Time to travel 4  107 m (Earth’s circumference) at
3  108 m/s ≈ 0.13 s. So if you sit farther back at the concert, the radio
signal would reach you first!
Sound Waves
How sound is heard from a radio loudspeaker
• radio loudspeaker is a paper cone that vibrates
• air molecules next to the loudspeaker set into vibration
• produces compressions and rarefactions in air
• sound waves reach your ears, setting your eardrums into vibration
• sound is heard
Radio Speaker
• (a) paper cone vibrates in rhythm with an
electric signal.
• (b) vibrations are displayed on an oscilloscope
— a graph of pressure versus time.
The Nature of Sound
For each increase of 1°C above 0°C, speed of
sound increases by 0.6 m/s.
Order of increasing speeds of sound:

• in air (≈ 340 m/s)
• in warm air (>340 m/s)
• in water (≈ four times speed in air)
• in steel (≈ 15 times speed in air)

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Vibrations

Anything that moves back and forth, to

Vibration is a wiggle in time

Wave is a wiggle in space and time

The distance between adjacent peaks in the direction of travel

The distance between adjacent peaks in the direction of travel

The source of all waves is a vibration.

Higher frequency means increased rate of energy

If the frequency of a particular wave is 20 Hz, its period is

If the frequency of a particular wave is 20 Hz, its period is

• Longitudinal wave - wave particles vibrate

•Transverse wave - wave particles vibrate back

The vibrations along a transverse wave move in a direction

A. along the wave.

The vibrations along a transverse wave move in a direction

A. along the wave.

Consider a person attending a concert being broadcast over the

Which signal will be heard first?

Which signal will be heard first?

Order of increasing speeds of sound:

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