Cornell University

Department of Physics

Phys 214 September 25, 2003

Waves, Optics, and Particles, Fall 2003

Homework Assignment # 5

(Due Thursday, October 2 at 5:00pm sharp.)

Agenda and readings for the week of September 29:

Skills to be mastered:

• given the wave solution $y(x,t)$, be able to get and interpret ``snapshots''$y(x, t=t_0)$ and ``particle histories'' $y(x=x_0, t)$;

• relating the wave speed ($v$) to the physical parameters of the system in which the waves are propagating: i.e., $v=c \equiv \sqrt{\tau/\mu}$ for a string; $v=c\equiv\sqrt{B/\rho}$ for sound.

• deriving boundary conditions for the ends of a string;

• sketching the allowed modes for different types of boundary conditions;

• picking the wavelength off of pictures of different standing wave modes;

• computing allowed frequencies from the allowed wavelengths;

Lectures and Readings:

Readings marked YF are from the text Young and Freedman, University Physics, 10th edition. Readings marked LN are from the course lecture notes to be found at http://www.muchomas.lassp.cornell.edu/P214.

• Lec 10, 09/30 (Tue): (IV. General Wave Phenomena) ``Pulse equation'' and its general solution.
  Readings: LN ``Wave Phenomena I,'' Sec. 1-3.

• Lec 11, 10/02 (Thu): Chunk velocities, E&M Pol Rule III, Superposition, General solution to the wave eq!
  Readings: LN ``Wave Phenomena I,'' Sec. 4.

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