Mechanical Waves On a String - Speed, Amplitude, and Power

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the speed and amplitude of a wave on a string with a mass of 38.5g, length of 5.60m, and tension of 220N, with a frequency of 178 Hz. The correct speed of the wave is determined to be 179 m/s, and the amplitude is calculated to be 1.35 cm. The participant initially miscalculated the mass due to a conversion error, which significantly impacted the results. The equations used include the wave speed formula and the power equation related to wave amplitude.

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  • Understanding of wave mechanics and properties of waves on strings
  • Familiarity with the concepts of tension, mass per unit length, and frequency
  • Proficiency in using mathematical equations for wave speed and power
  • Ability to perform unit conversions accurately
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  • Study the derivation and application of the wave speed formula: v = √(T/μ)
  • Learn about the relationship between power, amplitude, and frequency in wave mechanics
  • Explore common mistakes in unit conversions and their impact on calculations
  • Investigate the effects of tension and mass on wave propagation in different mediums
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Homework Statement


A string of mass 38.5g and length 5.60m is secured so that it is under tension of 220N. A wave with frequency 178 Hz travels on the string. Find the speed of the wave and the amplitude of the wave if it transmits power of 140 Watts.

The Given answers are: 179 m/s and 1.35 cm

Homework Equations


I believe these are the main equations that I can use to solve these problems

speed of wave
[itex]v=\sqrt{\frac{Tension}{\mu}},\mu = \frac{Mass}{Length}[/itex]

Power (from my notes)

[itex]P=\frac{\mu \times v \times \omega^2 \times A^2}{2},\omega = 2\pi f[/itex]

Power (from my book, think this is average power)

[itex]P=\frac{\sqrt{\mu \times F} \times \omega^2 \times A^2}{2},\omega = 2\pi f[/itex]

Are my notes correct? Are these equations for the same amount of power?

The Attempt at a Solution



Well, I'm given mass, length and tension of the string, and If my understanding is somewhat correct, the speed at which a wave moves through a medium is dependent only on the properties of the medium itself, and for this string, these properties are the mass, length, and tension

[itex]mass(M) = 38.5 g(grams) \longrightarrow .385 kg(kilograms)[/itex]
[itex]tension(T) = 220N(\frac{kgm}{s^2})[/itex]
[itex]length(L)=5.60m(meters)[/itex]

With this information, I can use my formula for velocity of the wave to find the speed of the wave.

I'll calculate [itex]\mu[/itex]
[itex]\mu = \frac{M}{L} \longrightarrow \mu = \frac{.385 kg}{5.60 m}=0.069\frac{kg}{m}[/itex]

Now [itex]v[/itex]
[itex]v=\sqrt{\frac{T}{\mu}}\longrightarrow v=\sqrt{\frac{220\frac{kgm}{s^2}}{0.069\frac{kg}{m}}}=\boxed{56.5\frac{m}{s}}[/itex]
Since I now have the velocity [itex]v[/itex], I should use the equation for power [itex]P[/itex], where [itex]P = 140 watts(\frac{kgm^2}{s^3})[/itex] and solve for A

[itex]P=\frac{\mu \times v \times \omega^2 \times A^2}{2},\omega = 2\pi f[/itex]

but before I can use this, I need [itex]\omega[/itex], which is [itex]\omega = 2\pi \times frequencey(f)[/itex]

[itex]\omega = 2\pi(rads) \times 178 \frac{1}{s}=1118.41\frac{1}{s}[/itex]now that I have [itex]\omega[/itex], I can solve for A

[itex]140\frac{kgm^2}{s^3}=\frac{(0.069\frac{kg}{m}) \times (56.5\frac{m}{s}) \times(1118.41\frac{1}{s})^2 \times A^2}{2}[/itex]

[itex]\frac{280\frac{kgm^2}{s^3}}{(0.069\frac{kg}{m}) \times (56.5\frac{m}{s}) \times(1118.41\frac{1}{s})^2}=A^2[/itex]

[itex]A^2=5.74\times 10^{-5}m[/itex] or [itex]0.0000574 m \longrightarrow \boxed{A=.0076m \rightarrow .76cm}[/itex]But as you can see, these answers do not correspond with those that are given. There are plenty of concepts that I'm struggling with here in physics, so I want to make sure I'm not straying too far off the path here.

any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Found my problem...

[itex].385kg[/itex]

This mass should actually be

[itex].0385kg[/itex]

Looks like I simply messed up on a conversion.
 

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