Question 9: For the wave described in Exercise 15.8, plot the displacement (y) versus (t) graphs for x = 0, 2 and 4 cm. What are the shapes of these graphs? In which aspects does the oscillatory motion in travelling wave differ from one point to another: amplitude, frequency or phase?
Answer:
Given, y(x, t) =3 sin (36t +0.018x + π/4) . . . . . . . . . . . ( 1 )
For x= 0, the equation becomes :
y( 0, t ) =3 sin ( 36t +0 + π/4 ) . . . . . . . . . . . ( 2 )
Also, ω = 2 π/t = 36 rad/s-1
therefore t = π/18 secs.
Plotting the displacement (y) vs. (t) graphs using different values of t listed below:
| t (s) |
0 |
T/8 |
2T/8 |
3T/8 |
4T/8 |
5T/8 |
6T/8 |
7T/8 |
| y (cm) |
3√2 / 2 |
3 |
3√2 / 2 |
0 |
-3√2 / 2 |
-3 |
-3√2 / 2 |
0 |
Similarly graphs are obtained for x = 0, x = 2 cm, and x = 4 cm.
The oscillatory motion in the travelling wave is different from each other only in terms of phase. Amplitude and frequency are invariant for any change in x.
The y-t plots of the three waves are shown in the given figure:

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