Why does the soundwave reach its maximum at 3.5ms and a distance of 0.157m?

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In summary,The stopper is started at the exact moment when the wave is at its minimum, call it -A. After 3.5ms and 0.157m from the point of origin, the wave has reached its maximum, A. According to my reasoning, the wave has reached 0 at that time. It takes the 2ms to reach minimum again and then with the remaining 1.5ms it reaches 0 with the first 0.5ms, then the maximum after 1ms and then 0 again after 1.5ms, but this is incorrect.
  • #1
nuuskur
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Given a soundwave with wavelength ##\lambda = 0,628 m## and a period ##T = 2 ms##.
The stopper is started at the exact moment when the wave is at its minimum, call it ##-A##. After ##3.5ms## and ##0,157m## from the point of origin, the wave has reached its maximum, ##A##.

Why is it so?
According to my reasoning the wave has reached 0 at that time. It takes the ##2ms## to reach minimum again and then with the remaining ##1.5ms## it reaches 0 with the first ##0.5ms##, then the maximum after ##1ms## and then 0 again after ##1.5ms##, but this is incorrect.

Edit: I would understand if we were given just the distance it has traveled in which case it would have traveled exactly a fourth from the point of origin and therefore reaching its maximum, but then why the ##3.5ms##?
 
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  • #2
think of the appearance of the wave, say it moves towards you, particles are propagating along y direction. When you are at 0.157m away, at t=0, you should see this point is y=0. After 0.5ms, the particle will have y= -A, then after 1ms, the particle will have y=A. Then after one more period, 2ms, that is totally 3.5ms, that particle will have y=A, which is maximum.
so it seems that it has no problem.

Edit: sound wave is not transfer wave, but I used transfer wave to explain, but they should have same result.
 
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  • #3
sunmaggot said:
think of the appearance of the wave, say it moves towards you, particles are propagating along y direction. When you are at 0.157m away, at t=0, you should see this point is y=0. After 0.5ms, the particle will have y= -A, then after 1ms, the particle will have y=A. Then after one more period, 2ms, that is totally 3.5ms, that particle will have y=A, which is maximum.
so it seems that it has no problem.

Edit: sound wave is not transfer wave, but I used transfer wave to explain, but they should have same result.
Doesn't it say at t=0 y=-A?
 
  • #4
nuuskur said:
Doesn't it say at t=0 y=-A?
that one is for particle position at stopper, but remember that 0.157m? the position 0.157m away from stopper has particle at y=0 when t=0
 
  • #5
You can just use the formula for the phase, no need to guess.
You have [tex]\phi =\omega t - k x =2 \pi (\frac{t}{T}-\frac{x}{\lambda})[/tex].
For t=0 and x=0 you have [tex]\phi_1 =0[/tex]
For the values given in OP, you have [tex]\phi_2 = 2 \pi (\frac{3.5}{2}-\frac{0.175}{0.628})=3 \pi [/tex]
Multiples of 2Π do not change the wave at all. So this is an actual change of Π which means that the two events are in opposition of phase. So from -A it goes to +A.

If you still want to describe it "in two pieces", the x2=0.157m is one quarter wavelength. So at t=0, and x1=0, the wave at x2=0.175 m goes through zero, towards negative values.
First time it will reach +A will be after 3/4 of a period. Next time it will reach the same value will be after 3/4+1 period or 1.75 periods or 3.5 ms.
 
  • #6
Like @nasu, your wave equation is:
$$ y(x,t) = A\sin(1000\pi{t}-10x) $$

Edit: if demand to calculate values for large time (t>10T), some programs makes truncation error mistakes.
 

What is the definition of "Oscillation of soundwave"?

Oscillation of soundwave refers to the repetitive back-and-forth motion of particles in a medium, caused by a disturbance or vibration, which results in the propagation of sound.

What is the relationship between frequency and oscillation of soundwave?

The frequency of a soundwave refers to the number of oscillations per second. Therefore, the higher the frequency, the faster the particles in the medium oscillate, resulting in a higher-pitched sound.

How does the amplitude of a soundwave affect its oscillation?

The amplitude of a soundwave refers to the maximum displacement of particles in the medium during oscillation. A higher amplitude results in a louder sound, as the particles are displaced further from their resting position.

What factors can affect the oscillation of soundwave?

The oscillation of soundwave can be affected by factors such as the medium through which it travels, temperature, and the presence of obstacles or barriers that can reflect or absorb the sound.

What are some real-life applications of understanding oscillation of soundwave?

Understanding the oscillation of soundwave is crucial in various fields, such as acoustics, music, and telecommunications. It also helps in the development of different technologies, such as ultrasound imaging and noise cancellation devices.

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