Finding phase shift when only initial displacement is given

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isukatphysics69
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Homework Statement


Four displacement versus time graphs labelled A to D for horizontal oscillators, each with axes Displacement (cm) and Time (s) from 0 to 20 s, showing sinusoidal curves of differing period and amplitude.


Homework Equations


Asin(wt + Φ)

The Attempt at a Solution


let t = 0

Case A:
-.10 = .20sin(Φ)
sin-1(-.10/.20) = Φ = -0.52

Case B:
.10 = .10sin(Φ)
sin-1(.10/.10) = Φ = 1.57Case C:
-.05 = .05sin(Φ)
sin-1(-.05/.05) = Φ = -1.57Case D:
0 = .20sin(Φ)
sin-1(0/.20) = Φ = 0

Now i think i have to determine which ones are in which quadrant. i have to determine whether to subtract pi or not. But how to determine?​
 
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  • Four displacement versus time graphs labelled A to D for horizontal oscillators, each with axes Displacement (cm) and Time (s) from 0 to 20 s, showing sinusoidal curves of differing period and amplitude.
    phase shift.PNG
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What was the question? No question was stated. Also, the graph is not clear enough to make out anything.
 
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Chandra Prayaga said:
What was the question? No question was stated. Also, the graph is not clear enough to make out anything.
Four displacement versus time graphs labelled A to D for horizontal oscillators, each with axes from 0 to 20 s and -25 to 25 cm; A has the largest amplitude and longest period, B and C shorter periods, D the shortest period.
Screenshot of a text box with instructions: rank the phase constant of each oscillator, smallest first, with negative phases ranked below positive ones, and answer in the format A < B = C < D with spaces around each inequality sign.
 
Attachments
  • Four displacement versus time graphs labelled A to D for horizontal oscillators, each with axes from 0 to 20 s and -25 to 25 cm; A has the largest amplitude and longest period, B and C shorter periods, D the shortest period.
    phase 1.PNG
    23.9 KB · Views: 491
  • Screenshot of a text box with instructions: rank the phase constant of each oscillator, smallest first, with negative phases ranked below positive ones, and answer in the format A < B = C < D with spaces around each inequality sign.
    phase2.PNG
    7 KB · Views: 419
Four displacement against time graphs labelled A to D, each with displacement in cm on the vertical axis from -25 to 25 and time in s from 0 to 20 on the horizontal axis, showing sinusoidal oscillations of differing amplitude and period.


here is a better pic
 
Attachments
  • Four displacement against time graphs labelled A to D, each with displacement in cm on the vertical axis from -25 to 25 and time in s from 0 to 20 on the horizontal axis, showing sinusoidal oscillations of differing amplitude and period.
    phase3.PNG
    40.8 KB · Views: 523
You can see from your graphs which quadrant they are in.
Since you use the sine function, A sin( ωt ), the first quadrant is the section that starts at 0 and rises to A, the second starts at A and falls to 0, the third starts at 0 and falls to -A, and the fourth starts at -A and rises to 0. Equally you can look at the time values: if T is the period, then first quadrant is from t=o to t=T/4, second from t=T/4 to T/2, etc.
Just look at the intercept on the displacement axis and see which part of the cycle it corresponds to.
Graph of one sine wave cycle from t=0 to t=T, with the four quadrants Q1 to Q4 marked, vertical lines at t=T/4, T/2 and 3T/4, and horizontal lines at +A, 0 and -A on the displacement axis.
 
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  • Graph of one sine wave cycle from t=0 to t=T, with the four quadrants Q1 to Q4 marked, vertical lines at t=T/4, T/2 and 3T/4, and horizontal lines at +A, 0 and -A on the displacement axis.
    sinewave.png
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Merlin3189 said:
You can see from your graphs which quadrant they are in.
Since you use the sine function, A sin( ωt ), the first quadrant is the section that starts at 0 and rises to A, the second starts at A and falls to 0, the third starts at 0 and falls to -A, and the fourth starts at -A and rises to 0. Equally you can look at the time values: if T is the period, then first quadrant is from t=o to t=T/4, second from t=T/4 to T/2, etc.
Just look at the intercept on the displacement axis and see which part of the cycle it corresponds to.
View attachment 225241
So i ranked it as c < d < b < a
some of them i thought i would not have to add pi ( i made a mistake in op i think it is add pi) and this was incorrect. some of them are not in any quadrant so there is no no need to add. i added pi to a, and that seemed like the only one that needed it
 
Left: a sine wave displacement curve over one period with points B, D, A and C marked at t=0, T/4, T/2, 3T/4 and T, quadrants Q1 to Q4, and levels +A, 0 and -A. Right: four displacement-time graphs labelled A to D, each with a green dot at t=0.
 
Attachments
  • Left: a sine wave displacement curve over one period with points B, D, A and C marked at t=0, T/4, T/2, 3T/4 and T, quadrants Q1 to Q4, and levels +A, 0 and -A. Right: four displacement-time graphs labelled A to D, each with a green dot at t=0.
    sinewave2.png
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Your original answers were: A= -π/6 , B=π/2, C= -π/2 and D= 0.
Looking at my diagram, two of these are not correct. What have you now said they are?

Edit: in case you are not familiar with these values;
π = 3.14, π/2 = 1.57, π/6 = 0.53 approx.
 
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Merlin3189 said:
Your original answers were: A= -π/6 , B=π/2, C= -π/2 and D= 0.
Looking at my diagram, two of these are not correct. What have you now said they are?
b and a were incorrect
 
i need to just step away from this for a few and go get something to eat
 
Yeah. I needed to sleep as well.

I disagree with a. (I'll leave the other error for now)
Your calculation sin-1(-.10/.20) = Φ = -0.52 gives one numerically possible result. There is another. You picked the wrong one.

You can see this from the graph -
Two cycles of a sine wave plotted against time in seconds and radians, with time labels t=-2T to t=T and radian values -6.28 to 6.28, quadrants Q1 to Q4 marked, points A, B, C, D on the curve, and a value of -0.52 at t=0.

I've put the origin in the centre and written the phase scale in decimal radians as you used.
You can see that your value of Φ = -0.52 does not correspond with the position of A.
There are two phase angles which give sin(Φ) = -0.5
One is Φ = -0.52 and its aliases 2πN - 0.52 (where N is an integer)
The other is where A is.

Another method you may have used to solve trig equations, implied by your term "quadrant" could be this diagram:
Unit circle with ASTC quadrant labels (Sin, All, Tan, Cos) and a horizontal line at -0.5, with arrows marking angles of -0.52 rad and pi + 0.52 rad from the positive x-axis.

Where you can see that the other solution to Φ = sin-1(-0.5) is Φ = π + 0.52
 
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  • Two cycles of a sine wave plotted against time in seconds and radians, with time labels t=-2T to t=T and radian values -6.28 to 6.28, quadrants Q1 to Q4 marked, points A, B, C, D on the curve, and a value of -0.52 at t=0.
    sinewave2.png
    11.4 KB · Views: 417
  • Unit circle with ASTC quadrant labels (Sin, All, Tan, Cos) and a horizontal line at -0.5, with arrows marking angles of -0.52 rad and pi + 0.52 rad from the positive x-axis.
    sine_cast.png
    5.6 KB · Views: 531
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