Lecture 1

Lecturer: Tristan O’Hanlon

Room: 303-618
t.ohanlon@auckland.ac.nz
Why do we learn wave theory?
• The behaviour of light – optics
• The propagation of sound
• Medical applications - ultrasound
• Characteristics of musical instruments
• Earthquakes

• Provides a mathematical description for the nature of particles in

quantum mechanics
After this lecture you should be able to:
• Describe what a wave is.
• Describe transverse and longitudinal propagation of waves and
give examples.
• Analyse and interpret graphical representations of waves.
• Solve problems using the formula .
A progressive wave is a disturbance that moves itself and
energy but NOT matter from one place to another in a
medium.

Particles in the medium vibrate about their original position.

Direction of propagation ---- >

Examples of waves
• Mechanical Waves
• Sound Waves
• Seismic Waves
• Water Waves
• Waves on a String

• Electromagnetic (EM) Waves

• Visible Light
• Infrared
• Ultraviolet
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves
Transverse Waves
• Particles in the medium move in a
direction perpendicular to the
direction of travel of the wave.
Crest
Trough
Longitudinal Waves
• Particles in the medium move in a
direction parallel to the direction of
travel of the wave.
Compression
Rarefaction
Longitudinal Waves
• Sound waves
• Pressure Waves
• Seismic P-waves
Transverse Waves
• Electromagnetic Waves
• Waves on a string
• Seismic S-waves
Example 1
• Could sound travel effectively as a transverse wave through air?

• No. The longitudinal wave of sound work by particles ‘pushing’

each other along. There must be a force that makes one particle
influence another and air molecules are not attached to each
other. *
Amplitude
• Symbol: A
• Amplitude is the maximum displacement of a particle in a wave
from its equilibrium (original) position.
• Amplitude has units appropriate to the type of wave (metres, volts,
pascals etc…)
Wavelength
• Symbol: λ
• The distance in the propagation direction over which the wave
repeats.
• Units: m (metres)
Example 2 What is the amplitude and wavelength
of the wave below?

A = 10cm
λ = 40cm
https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zc62tv4/revision/2
Frequency
• Symbol: f
• The number of full wavelengths that pass a point in one second.
• Unit: Hz (Hertz)

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-physics/chapter/periodic-motion/
Period
• Symbol: T
• The amount of time it takes for one whole wavelength to pass the
same point.
• Unit: s (second)

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Period_(physics)
Example 3
5 whole wavelengths pass a point in space in 1.0s. What
is the period of the wave?

1 wavelength passes the point in a 1/5th of a second.

Therefore the period of the wave is 0.20s
 Which graph correctly shows the
Example 4 amplitude a and the wavelength λ of the
wave?
Period and Frequency
• Period is the reciprocal of frequency and vice versa.

• T has the units of seconds so f has the unit of s-1 (1/s) or Hz (Hertz
or “cycles per second”).
Speed of a wave
• Speed is distance over time, given in metres per second or ms-1 (or
m/s)
• Wave speed [ms-1] = frequency [Hz] x wavelength [m]

• This is true for every type of

wave (light, sound, water etc…)
no matter how it propagates.

Image Courtesy: isvr.soton.ac.uk

Example 5
Determine the speed of a wave of wavelength 5.0m and
frequency 0.20 Hz

v = λf
v = 5.0 x 0.20
v = 1.0 ms-1 (or 1.0 m/s)
 Example 6

(a) What is the wavelength of the wave? λ = 4.0 m

(b) What is the amplitude of the wave? A = 2.0 m

Crest
(c) Position X is called a __________________________.
Trough
Position Y is called a _______________________
 Example 6
cont…

(d) If the speed of the wave in the string is 1.6 ms-1, calculate the
frequency of the wave. 𝑣 1.6
𝑓= = = 0.40 𝐻𝑧
λ 4.0

(e) Using your answer to (d), determine the period of the

1
wave.
1
𝑇= = = 2.5 𝑠
𝑓 0.40
(f) As the wave travels to the right from this position, describe the
string’s motion at point X. Downwards
Example 7