Particle displacement by a speaker in a gas tube

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of particle displacement in a gas tube caused by a speaker generating waves. The original poster presents a mathematical expression for the motion of the membrane and seeks to understand how particle displacement varies with both position and time, particularly in the context of standing waves and boundary conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to express the displacement as a combination of progressive and reflected waves, questioning how to account for the continuous reflections. Some participants discuss the nature of standing waves and suggest alternative formulations to meet boundary conditions.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, offering insights into the formulation of wave equations and boundary conditions. There is a recognition of the need for flexibility in phase choices for the waves, and some guidance has been provided regarding the use of trigonometric identities to combine wave functions.

Contextual Notes

Boundary conditions at both ends of the tube are under discussion, with specific attention to how these conditions affect the formulation of the wave equations. The original poster expresses uncertainty about the implications of these conditions on their approach.

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A speaker is generating waves in a gas that is closed in a tube. The tubes closed end is at x=0 and the speaker is at x=1. The motion of the membrane is given by

[tex]s=s_0 \cdot sin(\omega t)[/tex]

How does the particle displacement vary with x and t? The wavelength is [tex]\lambda[/tex]I do not know how to solve it. But i thougt of expressing it like this:

[tex]s_1=s_0 sin(kx + \omega t)[/tex] (wave due to speaker oscillation, traveling from x=1 to x=0)

[tex]s_2=s_0sin(kx - \omega t)[/tex] (reflected wave at x=0 traveling to x=1)

The problem is that the reflected wave is reflected again and again...
 
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there is standing wave. do you know what it is?
 
Yes i know what it is. If we solve it as a standing wave problem then we have:

[tex]s_{tot}=2s_0cos(\omega t)sin(kx)[/tex]

Boundary condition: [tex]s_{tot}=0[/tex] at x=0


According to the answer in my book it is a bit different, but x and t are separate from each other in the sinusodial functions as my suggestion above.

Any hint for me?

please
 
You've got the right idea, but you need to be a bit more flexible with your choice of phases of progressive waves. You have to choose them so that their sum conforms to the boundary conditions at x=0 and x=1.

Yours fit at x=0, because sin(kx) =0, and s1 + s2 must indeed be zero next to the wall.

But things aren't right at x=1. The speaker diaphragm moves according to sin(wt), whereas your s1 + s2 varies as cos(wt). May I suggest you try the progressive waves s1 = Acos(kx+wt) and s2 = -Acos(kx-wt). Then express the difference of two cosines as a product. It comes out as a product of sines, so you can meet both boundary conditions.
 
I don't really know how to do...

If we put a boundary condition at x=1 as:

s=2scos(wt)sin(k)

now what?

But i recognized that this should also be a fact:

2scos(wt)sin(k)=sin(wt) this should also help i think
 
Did you add the two progressive waves that I recommended you try? Use the standard trig formula cos([itex]\vartheta[/itex]) - cos([itex]\varphi[/itex]) = 2sin[([itex]\vartheta[/itex] +[itex]\varphi[/itex])/2] sin[([itex]\vartheta[/itex] -[itex]\varphi[/itex])/2].

You should then find that s1 +s2 is the product of an x-dependent sine and a t-dependent sine. s1 +s2 automatically disappears when x = 0, just as it should at a wall. It also agrees with the motion of the membrane at x = 1, as given in the question, provided that A =...
 

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