A Good Review of Waves for E-Mag, Acoustics & Vibrations

In summary: Both provide a solid foundation in waves and vibrations, with French's book covering elementary concepts and Crawford's book delving into more advanced topics. Additionally, the MIT Video Lectures and relevant chapters in Stone & Goldbart's and Olver's books are excellent resources for developing intuition in this subject. Another suggestion is The Physics of Waves by Howard Georgi. However, it may be too advanced for your current needs. The Manchester University website also has recommendations for more advanced waves resources.
  • #1
WCL
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I'm looking for a good review of Waves before I go into E-Mag, acoustics and vibrations stuff. What would be a solid book for that? I feel like I didn't have a strong foundation in analysing trigonometric functions, and a very weak base using Fourier series, especially with applications.

Right now, I'm thinking about A. P. French's Vibrations and Waves, but it seems to only go over only elementary concepts. The normal introductory physics books only seem to give equations and not go into any analytical depth, and I would like to develop some intuition with this type of stuff, especially considering how important waves are.

Any better suggestions?
 
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  • #4
atyy, I like the mit lectures; they seem to be what I'm looking for. The notes don't seem bad...I'll certainly look at the relevant chapters. Though the book seems much too advanced for what I'm looking for.

George Jones, the book seems to be great! Are there solutions to the problems anywhere?
 
  • #5
I was just looking at the "advanced waves" recommendations on the Manchester University website, they may suit your needs:

http://www.physics.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/course-handbook/10_syllabuses/physics_level2/phys_20171.html
 
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  • #6
I would recommend A. P. French's Vibrations and Waves as well as Waves (Berkeley Physics Course, Vol. 3) by Frank S. Crawford.
 

1. What is the difference between electromagnetic waves and acoustic waves?

Electromagnetic waves are a type of wave that do not require a medium to travel through and can travel in a vacuum, while acoustic waves require a medium, such as air or water, to travel through. Electromagnetic waves also have a wider range of frequencies, including visible light, radio waves, and X-rays, while acoustic waves are limited to the audible range for humans.

2. How do vibrations affect the propagation of waves?

Vibrations, or oscillations, play a crucial role in the propagation of waves. In mechanical waves, such as acoustic waves, vibrations are the source of the wave and determine its frequency and amplitude. In electromagnetic waves, vibrations of charged particles create oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space.

3. How are waves used in everyday life?

Waves are used in a variety of ways in everyday life. Some common examples include the use of radio waves for communication, visible light for vision, and sound waves for hearing. Waves are also used in medical imaging, such as X-rays and ultrasound, and in technologies like WiFi and radar.

4. What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?

Frequency and wavelength are inversely related - as frequency increases, wavelength decreases, and vice versa. This relationship is described by the equation: velocity = frequency x wavelength. This means that waves with a higher frequency have a shorter wavelength and vice versa.

5. How do waves transfer energy?

Waves transfer energy through the oscillation of particles in a medium. In mechanical waves, particles in the medium vibrate back and forth, transferring energy from one particle to the next. In electromagnetic waves, energy is transferred through the oscillating electric and magnetic fields. This transfer of energy enables waves to travel long distances.

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