Oscillations


Periodic Motion: A motion which repeats itself over and over again after a regular
interval of time.
Eg: The revolution of Earth

Oscillatory Motion: A motion in which a body moves back and forth repeatedly about a
fixed point.
Eg: The motion of the pendulum of a wall clock.

Periodic function: A function that repeats its value at regular intervals of its argument is
called periodic function. The following sine and cosine functions are periodic with period T.
f(t) = sin and g(t) = cos
These are called Harmonic Functions.

Note :- All Harmonic functions are periodic but all periodic functions are not
harmonic.

Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM): A particle is said to execute SHM if it moves to and
fro about a mean position under the action of a restoring force which is directly
proportional to its displacement from mean position and is always directed towards mean
position.
Restoring Force α Displacement
Fαx Or F = – kx
Where ‘k’ is force constant.

Simple Pendulum: An ideal simple pendulum consist of a heavy point mass body
suspended by a weightless extensible and perfectly flexible string from a rigid support about
which it is free to oscillate.

Time period of simple pendulum :

Page 1
Second Pendulum: The Pendulum whose time period is 2 second is called second
pendulum.

Amplitude: Maximum displacement of oscillating particle from its mean position.

xMax = + –A

Time Period: Time taken to complete one oscillation.

Frequency: ν =
It is defined as number of periodic motions executed by body per second.
 It is denoted by ν
 Unit of frequency is Hertz (Hz).
 1 Hz = 1s–1

Angular Frequency:
It is equal to the product of frequency of the body with factor 2π.
ω= = 2πν
S.I unit ω = rad s–1

Phase:
1. The Phase of Vibrating particle at any instant gives the state of the particle with
regards to its position and the direction of motion at that instant.
It is denoted by ø.
2. Initial phase or epoch: The phase of particle corresponding to time t = 0.
It is denoted by ø.
Its unit is radian

Displacement in SHM :
X = A cos (ωt + ø0)
Where, = Displacement,
A = Amplitude
ωt = Angular Frequency
ø0 = Initial Phase

Page 2
 CH:15 WAVES
WAVE MOTION: It is a kind of disturbance which travel through a medium due to
repeated vibration of the particle about the mean position.

TYPES OF WAVES
MECHANICAL WAVE: The waves which require material medium for their propagation are
called Mechanical waves.
E.g. sound waves ,waves on water surface,waves on strings,etc.

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES: The waves which require no material medium for their
propogation are called Electromagnetic waves.
Electric and magnetic field are perpendicular to the propagation of wave.
E.g. Light waves , radio waves, microwaves ,etc.

MATTER WAVES (DE BROGLIE WAVES) : The waves associated with microscopic particles
like proton, neutron, atoms, electrons etc are called Matter waves.

LONGITUDINAL WAVES: The wave in which individual particles of the medium execute
Simple Harmonic Motion about their mean position along the same direction ,along which
the wave is propagated is called Longitudinal wave.
E.g. Sound wave travel in air, vibration of air column in organ pipe , etc.

These waves can be produced in Solid, Liquid and Gases.

TRANSVERSE WAVE: Those waves in which each particle of the medium execute S.H.M in a
direction perpendicular to the direction of propagation of wave motion.
E.g. water waves, waves in Guitar, Violin etc.

WAVE NUMBER: The number of waves present in a unit distance of the medium is called
wave number.
ANGULAR WAVE NUMBER: It is phase change per unit distance.
i.e. K = , S.I unit of k is radian per meter.

NOTE: Relation between velocity, frequency and wavelength is given as :- V = νλ

SPEED OF A TRANSVERSAL WAVE:

(i)In solid molecules having modulus of rigidity ‘η ’ and density ‘ρ’ is V= √

(ii)In string for mass per unit length ’m’ and tension ‘T’ is V = √

SPEED OF A LONGITUDINAL WAVE:

Page 3
(i) in solid V = √ , Y= young’s modulus

(ii) in fluid V= √ , K= bulk modulus

FACTORS AFFECTING VELOCITY OF SOUND:

(i) Pressure – No effect
(ii) Density – Inversely proportional
(iii) Humidity – Inversely proportional to the square root of density
(iv) Temperature – Directly proportional to the square root of Temperature

NEWTON'S FORMULA:
V=√
PV = constant (Boyle’s law)
P +v = o
P=-
= = Kiso

V=√

Newton assume that Sound waves travel through a gas under isothermal condition
temperature rising during Compression and falls through rare faction but overall remain
constant.

LAPLACE CORRECTION:
Laplace pointed out that sound travel through a gas under adiabatic condition and not
under isothermal condition because:
 As sound travels through a gas , temperature rises in the regions of compression and
falls in the region of rare- faction.
 As gas is a poor conductor of heat.
 The compression and rare - faction are formed so rapidly that the heat generated in
the region of compression does not passes out into the region of rare - faction so as
to equalize the temperature.

V=√
PVγ = Constant
PγVγ-1 + Vγ =0
+ Vγ =0
= -

V=√

Page 4
PRINCIPLE OF SUPER POSITION OF WAVE :
This law states that when a number of waves travel through a medium simultaneously, the
resultant displacement of any particle in any medium in a given time is equal to the
algebraic sum of the displacement due to the algebraic waves.

STATIONARY WAVES :
When two identical wave of same amplitude and frequency travelling in opposite direction
with the same speed along with the same path superimposed with each other ,the resultant
wave does not travel in either direction is called stationary waves.

NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR STATIONARY WAVES :

A stationary wave cannot be formed from two independent waves travelling in a medium in
opposite direction. A Stationary wave is produced when a progressive wave is superimposed
on its reflected wave .

TYPES OF STATIONARY WAVES:

1. TRANSVERSE STATIONARY WAVES : When two identical transverse wave
travelling in opposite direction overlap.
2. LONGITUDINAL STATIONARY WAVES : When two identical longitudinal wave
travelling to opposite direction overlap.
NOTE : A Stationary wave can only be produce only in a finite medium which has the
boundries.

ANALYTICAL TREATMENT OF STATIONARY WAVES :

Consider two Sinusoidal wave of equal amplitude and frequency travelling along a string in
opposite direction.

Page 5
CHARACTERSTICS OF STATIONARY WAVES:
 The distance between two successive nodes or antinodes is .
 All particles of the Medium , except those at nodes , execute simple harmonic
motions with the same time period about their mean position.
 The amplitudes of the particles are different at different points. The amplitude varies
gradually from zero at the nodes to the maximum at the antinodes.
 All particles in a particular segment between two nodes vibrate in the same phase
but the particles in two neighboring segments vibrate in opposite phases as shown in
fig.

BEATS :
When two sound waves of slightly different frequencies travelling along the same path in
the same direction in the medium superimposed in each other the intensity of the resultant
sound. At any point in the medium rises and falls with time .These periodic Variations in the
intensity of sound caused by the superposition of two side waves of slightly different
frequency are called Beats.
VBEAT = V1 – V2

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOR BEAT:

For beats to be audible the difference in the frequency of two sound waves should not
exceed ten. If the difference is more than ten we shall hear more than ten beats/sec. but
due to persistence of hearing our ear is not able to distinguish between two sounds as
separate if the time interval between them is less than (1/10)th of a second. Hence beats
heard will not be distinct if the number of beats produced per second is more than ten.

ANALYTICAL TREATMENT OF BEAT:

Consider two harmonic waves of frequency V1 and V2 of slightly different frequencies each
of amplitude A, travelling in the same direction.
Y 1= A t=A
Y 2= A t=A
Y= Y1 +Y2
Y=A +A

Page 6
 = 2A ( ) ( )
Vmod = and Vav =
Y = 2A ( ). Sin( )
Y = R Sin( )
( ) 1
( ) = nπ
r (V1 – V2)t = nπ
t= = 0, ---------------
– – –

–
( )
= (2n+1) ⁄
( )
t= = , ---------------
( – ) – ( – ) ( – )

TBEAT = –

VBEAT = OR VBEAT = V1 – V2

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BEAT:

i. Loading Method: if the beat frequency decreases on loading the prong of the
turning fork of the unknown frequency, then the unknown frequency is greater than
the known frequency, u2 = v1+ b
ii. Filing Method: If on filing the prong B, the beat frequency decreases then,
v2 = v1- b
If on filing the prong B, the beat frequency decreases then,
v2 = v1+ b

Page 7