Chapter 13

Vibrations and Waves

Outline
Hookes Law
Elastic Potential Energy
Comparing Simple Harmonic Motion
with Uniform Circular Motion.
4. Position, Velocity, and Acceleration as a
Function of Time.
5. Motion of a Pendulum
6. Damped Oscillations
7. Waves
8. Frequency, Amplitude and Wavelength
9. The Speed of Waves on Strings
10. Interference of Waves
11. Reflection of Waves
1.
2.
3.

1-Hookes Law
Restoring Force:

F kx
F is always opposite to
displacement (the
mass is always being
pulled or pushed
towards the
equilibrium position)
F is always
proportional to
displacement

Simple Harmonic Motion

1
F
T

2- Elastic Potential
Energy

( PE) elastic

1 2
kx
2

x displacement in m
k spring constantin N

 Conservative system:

KE PE i KE PE f
( for any closed path, W 0)
Non conservative system:

Wnc Work done by non conservative forces

( for any closed path, W 0

Note:
PE ( PE ) Elastic ( PE ) Grav ...

1 2
KE mv
2

KE PE Total mechanicalenergy

Concept Test
An object can oscillate around:
1. Any equilibrium point
2. Any stable equilibrium point
3. Any unstable equilibrium points
2- When an object in a stable
4. Any point, provided the forces exerted on
equilibrium
is disturbed,
it tends
it obey Hookes
law
to
to its stable equilibrium
5. return
Any point

point.

Velocity as a Function of Position

E f Ei

k 2
2
v
(A x )
m
indicates direction

v v m ax when x 0

v 0 when x A

Concept Test
A mass suspended from a spring is oscillating up and
down as indicated.
Consider two possibilities:
(i) At some point during the oscillation, the mass
has zero velocity but is accelerating (+ or -)
(ii) At some point during the oscillation, the mass
has zero velocity and zero acceleration.
1. Both occur during the
oscillation
2. Neither occurs during the
oscillation
3. Only (i) occurs
4. Only (ii) occurs

3- Comparing Simple Harmonic

v
sin
v0
sin

A x
A
2

A x
A
2

v

v0
v0
v
A

A x C A x
2

The velocity in the x-direction is related to the displacement x

Period
2A
v0
T
2A
T
v0

1 2 1 2
A
m
kA mv0
2
2
v0
k

1 2
At P: Etotal kA
2
1
2
At Q: Etotal mv0
2
m
T 2
k

Frequency

1
f
T
1
f
2
Q

k
m

Angular frequency

k
2f
m

For a simple harmonic motion

m
T 2
k

k 2
2
v
(A x )
m

1
f
2

k
m

4-Position, Velocity, and Acceleration

2f Angular frequency cst

x A cost A cos(2ft)

dx
v
A sin(t )
dt
2
dx
a 2 A 2 cos(t )
dt

Concept Test
A mass attached to a spring oscillates back and forth as
indicated in the position vs. time plot below. At P,
the mass has:

1.
2.
3.
4.

positive v, positive a
positive v, negative a
positive v, zero a
negative v, positive a

5.
6.
7.
8.

negative v, negative a
negative v, zero a
Zero v, but accelerating
Zero v and zero a

5- Motion of a Pendulum

F -mg sin
but

s L rad

For small angles

so that

F -mg rad

mg
F
s
L

mg
Simple harmonic motion F kx with k
L

m
L
Period T 2
T 2
k
g

The period is
independent of mass
and amplitude,

Concept Test
A person swings on a swing. When the person
sits still, the swing oscillates back and
forth at its natural frequency. If instead the
person stands on the swing, the new
natural frequency of the swing is:
1. Greater
2.
same
L isThe
decreased
3. Smaller
T decreases
f increases

6- Damped
Oscillations
Ideal systems:
indefinite
oscillations
Real systems:
friction reduces the
mechanical energy
and oscillation stop.

7- Waves

A wave is a traveling
disturbance:
Source of
disturbance
Medium of
propagation
Physical connection
between the portions
of the medium
Note: no flow of matter
takes place

Types of Waves
A wave can be:
Transverse: displacement is perpendicular to propagation.
(guitar)

Longitudinal: displacement along propagation. (sound

8- Frequency, Amplitude
and Wavelength
Any point P oscillates vertically with simple harmonic
motion having an amplitude A.
Distance from crest tocrest Wavelength

Velocity of a wave v
( f frequency)
1
( T Period)
f

9- The Speed of Waves on

Tension

mass
Kg

Linear density in
m
length

Concept Test
3Two
vstrings,
changes
one thick and the other thin are
connected to form one long string. A wave
Tension
v travels along the string and passes the point
where
the two strings are connected. Which of
the following changes will we observe?
mass
1. Frequency
length
2. Period
3. Propagation
Mass
changesspeed
from one string to the other,

thus changes and v changes.

10 Interference of Waves

Resultant wave = addition of the two waves.

Waves can pass

11- Reflection of Waves

Concept Test
A wave is sent along a long spring by moving the left end rapidly to the
right and keeping it there. The figure shows the wave pulse at QR- part
RS of the long spring is as yet undisturbed. Which of the graphs 1 to 5
correctly shows the relation between the displacement s and the position
x ( displacement to the right is positive)?

Concept Test
Which of the following is necessary to make
an object oscillate?
1. A stable equilibrium point
2. Little or no friction
3. A disturbance
4. Both 1 and 2
5. All 1, 2 and 3

Concept Test
An object is in equilibrium when the net force
on it is zero.
Which one of the statements is / are correct?
1. An
Any
object
in equilibrium is at rest.
2object
in equilibrium:
2. Any object in equilibrium need not be at
- no net force,
rest
no acceleration
3. - An
object at rest must be in equilibrium.

- The object is at rest or moving at a