Superposition of Two Travelling Waves, Different Amplitudes

In summary, the conversation discusses a more general polarized field in an E&M textbook and a discrepancy in the amplitude calculation. The attempt at a solution uses the cosine rule to calculate the amplitude, but the book uses a plus sign instead of a minus sign. The person also questions if the reason for the difference is due to ignoring time dependence. However, upon further calculation, it is discovered that the attempt at a solution had a mistake in calculating the modulus of the field. The person then asks why the cosine rule idea is not valid, but later realizes that the phasors in the diagram have the opposite phase as written in the question.
  • #1
bananabandana
113
5

Homework Statement


I'm looking at an E&M textbook - "Time-Harmonic Electromagnetic Fields". They state:
"A more general ##x ## polarized field is one consisting of waves traveling in opposite directions with unequal amplitudes - i.e :
(1) $$ E_{x} = Ae^{-jkz} +Ce^{jkz}$$
Let ## A ## and ##C## be real. We express the field in terms of an amplitude and phase. This gives:
(2) $$E_{x} = \sqrt{A^{2}+C^{2}+2ACcos(2kz)} \ e^{-jtan^{-1} \bigg( \frac{A-C}{A+C} tan(kz) \bigg) } $$"​

But I can't see where this comes from.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


It would have though that amplitude is coming out of a cosine rule - that there is a vector triangle with ##\vec{A}## and ##\vec{C}## as two sides. In the argand/phasor diagram, the angle between ##Ae^{-jz} ## and ##Ce^{jz}## is going to be fixed (for any given time) as ##2kz## (or ## 2\pi -2kz ##) So by applying the cosine rule, I'd expect:
$$ |E_{x}| = |A|^{2}+|C|^{2} -2|A||C|cos(2kz) $$
But in the book there is a plus. Is this a typo, or have I messed up?

and I can get the phase from just expanding out ##E_{x} ## into components - from (1):
$$E_{x}= (A+C) cos(kz) + j(C-A)sin(kz)$$
So if we want to write ## E_{x} ## as: $$E_{x} = |E_{x}| e^{j\phi} = |E_{x}| (cos\phi + jsin\phi)$$ Then:
$$ tan(\phi) = \frac{C-A}{A+C} tan(kz) \implies tan(-\phi) = \frac{A-C}{A+C} tan(kz), \therefore \phi =-tan^{-1}\bigg(\frac{A-C}{A+C} tan(kz) \bigg) $$

If that second bit is right - is the reason that we can't equate amplitude of that equation with the book amplitude because we have ignored time dependence? Just started doing this, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks :)
 
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  • #2
bananabandana said:
But in the book there is a plus. Is this a typo, or have I messed up?
Try to calculate the modulus of
$$E_{x}= (A+C) cos(kz) + j(C-A)sin(kz)$$.
 
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Likes bananabandana
  • #3
Ah, that's embarrassing. Out of interest - why is the cosine rule idea not valid? Please see picture.
**EDIT**: Oops, in the diagram ##\vec{A}## and ##\vec{C}## have the opposite phase to as written in the question.
 

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1. What is "superposition of two travelling waves, different amplitudes"?

Superposition of two travelling waves, different amplitudes is a phenomenon that occurs when two waves with different amplitudes overlap and combine, resulting in a new wave with a larger or smaller amplitude.

2. How does superposition of two travelling waves, different amplitudes affect the resulting wave?

The resulting wave from superposition can have a larger or smaller amplitude, depending on the amplitudes of the two overlapping waves. The amplitudes can cancel each other out or add together, resulting in a wave with a different amplitude.

3. What factors can influence the superposition of two travelling waves, different amplitudes?

The amplitude and frequency of the two waves are the main factors that influence the superposition of two travelling waves. The phase and direction of the waves can also play a role in the resulting wave.

4. Can two waves with the same amplitude undergo superposition?

Yes, two waves with the same amplitude can undergo superposition. However, the resulting wave will have a larger amplitude compared to the individual waves.

5. What applications does superposition of two travelling waves, different amplitudes have?

Superposition of two travelling waves, different amplitudes is used in many applications, including acoustics, optics, and electronics. It is also important in studying wave interference and phenomena such as beats and standing waves.

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