Understanding Transverse Wave Pulses

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on solving problems related to transverse wave pulses, specifically focusing on homework questions involving wave equations. The participant initially misinterpreted the direction of the pulse in question one, which led to an incorrect submission. After further analysis, they correctly identified that question two had the appropriate dimensions and submitted it successfully. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the dimensional analysis in wave equations.

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bilals
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Homework Statement



whichone.jpg



2. The attempt at a solution

i thought it was number one...as we have -4.5m/s in the equation indicating that the pulse is moving in the negative direction.. i submitted the answer.unfortunately it was incorrect..

Can you help me with this..if possible.
 
Last edited:
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What about number 7? The dimensions are wrong in number one, because you have [itex]x^2 - vt[/itex], so [itex]x^2[/itex] has units of [itex](ms^{-1})^2[/itex] and vt units of [itex]ms^{-1}[/itex].
 
Thank you Nylex for ur help...i submitted the answer (number 7)but...--->its wrong.
i thought again about the dimensions..i found that number two also has correct dimensions. i submitted it..and its correct.
my reasoning (not sure if it's correct)..that the negative outside the bracket when multiplied but +4.5t,becomes negative ..indicating the negative direction of the pulse.



Correct solution (Number 2)
 
Last edited:

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