Question 15 Marks
A wave propagates on a string in the positive x-direction at a velocity v. The shape of the string at t = to is given by $\text{g}(\text{x},\text{t}_0)=\text{A}\sin\big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}\big).$ Write the wave equation for a general time t.
Answer
View full question & answer→At $\text{t}=\text{t}_0,\ \text{g}(\text{x},\text{t}_0)=\text{A}\sin\big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}\big)\ \dots(1)$ For a wave traveling in the positive x-direction, the general equation is given by$\text{y}=\text{f}\Big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}-\frac{\text{t}}{\text{T}}\Big)$
Putting $t = -t_0$ and comparing with equation (1), we get$\Rightarrow\text{g}(\text{x},0)=\text{A}\sin\Big\{\big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}\big)+\big(\frac{\text{t}_0}{\text{T}}\big)\Big\}$
$\Rightarrow\text{g}(\text{x, t})=\text{A}\sin\Big\{\big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}\big)+\big(\frac{\text{t}_0}{\text{T}}\big)-\big(\frac{\text{t}}{\text{T}}\big)\Big\}$
As $\text{T}=\frac{\text{a}}{\text{v}}$ (a = wave length, v = speed of the wave)$\Rightarrow\text{Y}=\text{A}\sin\Big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}+\frac{\text{t}_0}{(\frac{\text{a}}{\text{v}})}-\frac{\text{t}}{(\frac{\text{a}}{\text{v}})}\Big)$
$=\text{A}\sin\Big(\frac{\text{x}+\text{v}(\text{t}_0-\text{t})}{\text{a}}\Big)$
$\Rightarrow\text{y}=\text{A}\sin\Big[\frac{\text{x}-\text{v}(\text{t}-\text{t}_0)}{\text{a}}\Big]$
Putting $t = -t_0$ and comparing with equation (1), we get$\Rightarrow\text{g}(\text{x},0)=\text{A}\sin\Big\{\big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}\big)+\big(\frac{\text{t}_0}{\text{T}}\big)\Big\}$
$\Rightarrow\text{g}(\text{x, t})=\text{A}\sin\Big\{\big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}\big)+\big(\frac{\text{t}_0}{\text{T}}\big)-\big(\frac{\text{t}}{\text{T}}\big)\Big\}$
As $\text{T}=\frac{\text{a}}{\text{v}}$ (a = wave length, v = speed of the wave)$\Rightarrow\text{Y}=\text{A}\sin\Big(\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}+\frac{\text{t}_0}{(\frac{\text{a}}{\text{v}})}-\frac{\text{t}}{(\frac{\text{a}}{\text{v}})}\Big)$
$=\text{A}\sin\Big(\frac{\text{x}+\text{v}(\text{t}_0-\text{t})}{\text{a}}\Big)$
$\Rightarrow\text{y}=\text{A}\sin\Big[\frac{\text{x}-\text{v}(\text{t}-\text{t}_0)}{\text{a}}\Big]$






m = mass per unit length of the string R = Radius of the loop$\omega=$ angular velocity, V = linear velocity of the string