Traveling Wave on a String: Shape Retention & Direction/Speed

[Aliasa]

Homework Statement

[/B]A traveling wave on a string is described by , 0.0050 sin[4.0 (rad/s) t + 0.50 (rad/m)x] . (a) Does this wave retain its shape as it travels? (b) In what direction does the wave travel? (c) What is the wave traveling speed?

Homework Equations

None.

The Attempt at a Solution

My only concern is regarding part a. It is a 3rd year university course, and the rest of the assingment including this qustion is pretty basic. However, I do not understand if I am missing something regarding retaining of shape by the wave. Is there some ratio for k and w, which if violated the wave no longer retains the shape? Clearly, there is no information provided to assume anything like formation of a standing wave. Superficially, it seems the answer is a yes, but I am not sure. Nothing about it in lecture notes either..[/B]

 

[drvrm]

My only concern is regarding part a. It is a 3rd year university course, and the rest of the assingment including this qustion is pretty basic. However, I do not understand if I am missing something regarding retaining of shape by the wave. Is there some ratio for k and w, which if violated the wave no longer retains the shape? Clearly, there is no information provided to assume anything like formation of a standing wave. Superficially, it seems the answer is a yes, but I am not sure. Nothing about it in lecture notes either..

why do you think it may not retain its shape?
write out the equation for traveling waves and see how it moves after say full period T and a full wavelength Lambda

 

[Aliasa]

I thought it would retain its shape. y = A sin (kx-wt)
It's just periodic.

 

[drvrm]

I thought it would retain its shape. y = A sin (kx-wt)
It's just periodic.

in what direction your wave written above moves? at x=0 y= - A sin wt but in the problem quoted above you have a factor +wt,so it should make a difference ?

 

[drvrm]

I thought it would retain its shape. y = A sin (kx-wt)
It's just periodic.

in what direction your wave written above moves? at x=0 y= - A sin wt but in the problem quoted above you have a factor +wt,so it should make a difference ?