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

  • Thread starter Thread starter nuuskur
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Oscillation
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the behavior of a sound wave with a wavelength of 0.628 m and a period of 2 ms, specifically why it reaches its maximum amplitude at 3.5 ms and a distance of 0.157 m. The wave starts at its minimum amplitude (-A) and, after 3.5 ms, reaches its maximum amplitude (A) due to the phase relationship between time and distance traveled. The calculations confirm that at 0.157 m, the wave's position is initially at zero, and after 0.5 ms, it reaches -A, then A after 1 ms, aligning with the wave's periodic nature. The discussion emphasizes that the wave's behavior can be accurately described using the wave equation and phase calculations, confirming the observed timing and amplitude changes. Ultimately, the wave reaches its maximum amplitude at the specified time and distance due to its periodic properties.
nuuskur
Science Advisor
Messages
920
Reaction score
1,221
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##?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
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.
 
  • Like
Likes nuuskur
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?
 
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
 
You can just use the formula for the phase, no need to guess.
You have \phi =\omega t - k x =2 \pi (\frac{t}{T}-\frac{x}{\lambda}).
For t=0 and x=0 you have \phi_1 =0
For the values given in OP, you have \phi_2 = 2 \pi (\frac{3.5}{2}-\frac{0.175}{0.628})=3 \pi
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.
 
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.
 
The rope is tied into the person (the load of 200 pounds) and the rope goes up from the person to a fixed pulley and back down to his hands. He hauls the rope to suspend himself in the air. What is the mechanical advantage of the system? The person will indeed only have to lift half of his body weight (roughly 100 pounds) because he now lessened the load by that same amount. This APPEARS to be a 2:1 because he can hold himself with half the force, but my question is: is that mechanical...
Hello everyone, Consider the problem in which a car is told to travel at 30 km/h for L kilometers and then at 60 km/h for another L kilometers. Next, you are asked to determine the average speed. My question is: although we know that the average speed in this case is the harmonic mean of the two speeds, is it also possible to state that the average speed over this 2L-kilometer stretch can be obtained as a weighted average of the two speeds? Best regards, DaTario
Some physics textbook writer told me that Newton's first law applies only on bodies that feel no interactions at all. He said that if a body is on rest or moves in constant velocity, there is no external force acting on it. But I have heard another form of the law that says the net force acting on a body must be zero. This means there is interactions involved after all. So which one is correct?
Back
Top