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Homework 5 Progressive Wave Shape

1. The document discusses progressive plane waves, which can be represented by the function η(x,y,t) = a cos(k·r - ωt + θ), where k is the wave number vector indicating the direction of propagation at an angle α from the x-axis. 2. It shows that the superposition of two progressive waves with the same wave number k and frequency ω results in a wave with the same k and ω but a different amplitude and phase. 3. The superposition of two standing waves can produce a progressive wave. Plane waves have the property that the surface does not change in the y direction, and the phase speed c of a plane wave can be written

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74 views

Homework 5 Progressive Wave Shape

1. The document discusses progressive plane waves, which can be represented by the function η(x,y,t) = a cos(k·r - ωt + θ), where k is the wave number vector indicating the direction of propagation at an angle α from the x-axis. 2. It shows that the superposition of two progressive waves with the same wave number k and frequency ω results in a wave with the same k and ω but a different amplitude and phase. 3. The superposition of two standing waves can produce a progressive wave. Plane waves have the property that the surface does not change in the y direction, and the phase speed c of a plane wave can be written

Uploaded by

Swathi BD
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HOMEWORK 5

PROGRESSIVE WAVE SHAPE

Exercise 1. Let T be the interval between two consecutive crests, and λ the distance between two
adjacent crests. Show that the following relations hold:
2π 2π λ
k= ; ω= ; c= .
λ T T
Explain why k/2π represents the number of crests per unit length, and, similarly, f = ω/2π represents
the number of crests per unit of time (the parameter f is called frequency).

Solution. The parameters k and ω were introduced as non‐dimensionalizing constants in the phase
θ = kx − ωt. However, crests correspond to θ = 2nπ, with n ∈ Z. At t = 0, the distance between two
consecutive crests is determined by the relation kλ = 2π, hence the result. Same reasoning applies to
ω. The number of crests in an interval of length L is L/λ. Setting L = 1 implies that the number of
crests per unit length is λ−1 = k/2π.
Exercise 2. Show that only waves with different wave numbers and radian frequencies are distinct.
Show that superposition of two progressive waves of arbitrary amplitudes and initial phases but with
the same wave number k and radian frequency ω produces a wave with the same wave number and
radian frequency.

Solution. Using trigonometry: Without loss of generality, set one of the initial phases zero: η =
a1 cos θ + a2 cos(θ + θ0 ), where θ = kx − ωt. Expand the last cosine and group, to obtain η =
[a1 + a2 cos θ0 ] cos θ − a2 sin θ0 sin θ. This √
is a linear combination of cos θ and sin θ, of the form η =
A cos θ0 + B sin θ. Take out a factor ρ = A2 + B 2 to obtain η = ρ (α cos θ + β sin θ), where α =
√ A
A2 +B 2
and β = √A2B+B 2 ; check that |α| , |β| < 1 and α2 + β 2 = 1; this means that there is a angle θ1
such that α = cos θ1 and β = − sin θ1 . Substituting back into η obtains
η = ρ (cos θ cos θ1 − sin θ sin θ1 ) = ρ cos (θ + θ1 ) .
The superposition is in fact the same wave cos (kx − ω) but with a different amplitude (ρ) and initial
phase (θ1 ).
Using exponentials:
a1 iθ a1 −iθ a2 iθ iθ0 a2 −iθ −iθ0 1( ) 1( )
η= e + e + e e + e e = a1 + a2 eiθ0 eiθ + a1 + a2 e−iθ0 e−iθ .
2 2 2 2 2 2
Denote z1 = a1 + a2 eiθ0 and z2 = a1 + a2 e−iθ0 :
1 1
η = z1 eiθ + z2 e−iθ ;
2 2
√
note that z1 and z2 have the same modulus ρ = (a1 + a2 cos θ0 )2 + a22 sin2 θ0 , but phases of opposing
signs, ±θ1 ; one can then write z1 = ρeiθ1 and z2 = ρe−iθ1 and obtain
1 1
η = ρei(θ+θ1 ) + ρe−i(θ+θ1 ) = ρ cos (θ + θ1 ) .
2 2
Exercise 3. Show that the superposition of two standing waves may produce a progressive wave.

Solution. cos(kx−ωt) = cos kx cos ωt+sin kx sin ωt. Both cos kx cos ωt and sin kx sin ωt are standing
waves.
1
2

Exercise 4. Show that the “wave equation” (also the linear shallow water equation)
∂2η 2
2∂ η
− c = 0,
∂t2 ∂x2
with c > 0 constant, has a simple solution η(x, t) = F (θ), with θ = x ± ct where F can be any
twice differentiable function of θ.

Solution. Write η = η(θ(x, t)); then


∂η dη ∂θ dη ∂ 2 η 2
2d η ∂η dη ∂ 2 η d2 η
= = ±c ; = c ; and = ; = ;
∂t dθ ∂t dθ ∂t2 dθ2 ∂x dθ ∂x2 dθ2
and therefore the equation becomes
d2 η 2
2d η
c2− c ≡ 0.
∂θ2 ∂θ2
Exercise 5. Assume that the progressive wave form is in fact a function of y also, i.e., η(x, y, t) =
a cos(kx − ωt + θ). This means that the surface does not change in the y direction. This is called a
plane wave.
(1) Rotate the axes by an arbitrary angle α, to a new coordinate system (x′ , y ′ ). Show that the
general form of a plane wave in two spatial dimensions is
(1) η(x, y, t) = a cos(k · r − ωt + θ),
where k = k(cos α, sin α) is the wave number vector and α is the direction of propagation, i.e.,
the angle between k and the x‐axis.
(2) Show that the wavenumber vector is perpendicular to wave crests.
(3) Show that the phase speed of such a plane wave may be written as the vector c = c kk .

Solution. (1) This is achieved by rotating the horizontal axis. Denote the old (1‐D) axis by ξ and by x
new axis, rotated by α, with the y perpendicular to the new x axis. Then x = ξ cos α,y = ξ sin α, and
the spatial component of the old phase can be written as
( )
kξ = kξ cos2 α + sin2 α = kξ cos2 α + kξ sin2 α = k cos α ξ cos α + k sin α ξ sin α = kx x + ky y
where kx = k cos α and ky = k sin α.The wave‐number vector is k = kx i+ky j. In the (x, y) coordinate
axes, kξ = k · r.
(2) The crest is described by the equation θ(x, y) = 2π. Along the element of crest dl crest, dθ =
∇θ · dl = 0; the gradient of the phase is perpendicular to .the lines of constant phase (we knew that).
But θ = kx x + ky y, therefore ∇θ = k, hence k ⊥ dl.
(3) Indeed ( )
ωk
θ(r, t) = k · r − ωt + θ0 = k · r + t + θ0 = k · (r + ct) + θ0 ,
kk
where c = k is the phase velocity as discussed, and the vector phase velocity is c = c kk , i.e., is collinear
ω

with the wave number. The vector phase speed is constant, which means that the path of a crest is a
straight line: the crest moves in the direction perpendicular to the crest.

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