Vibrations and Waves E-Book

George C. King

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: The Manchester Physics Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 362

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

This introductory text emphasises physical principles, rather than the mathematics. Each topic begins with a discussion of the physical characteristics of the motion or system. The mathematics is kept as clear as possible, and includes elegant mathematical descriptions where possible. Designed to provide a logical development of the subject, the book is divided into two sections, vibrations followed by waves. A particular feature is the inclusion of many examples, frequently drawn from everyday life, along with more cutting-edge ones. Each chapter includes problems ranging in difficulty from simple to challenging and includes hints for solving problems. Numerous worked examples included throughout the book.

Leseprobe

Contents

Editors’ Preface to the Manchester Physics Series

Author’s Preface

1 SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

1.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SIMPLE HARMONIC OSCILLATORS

1.2 A MASS ON A SPRING

1.3 THE PENDULUM

1.4 OSCILLATIONS IN ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS: SIMILARITIES IN PHYSICS

2 THE DAMPED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

2.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DAMPED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

2.2 THE EQUATION OF MOTION FOR A DAMPED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

2.3 RATE OF ENERGY LOSS IN A DAMPED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

2.4 DAMPED ELECTRICAL OSCILLATIONS

3 FORCED OSCILLATIONS

3.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FORCED HARMONIC MOTION

3.2 THE EQUATION OF MOTION OF A FORCED HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

3.3 POWER ABSORBED DURING FORCED OSCILLATIONS

3.4 RESONANCE IN ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS

3.5 TRANSIENT PHENOMENA

3.6 THE COMPLEX REPRESENTATION OF OSCILLATORY MOTION

4 COUPLED OSCILLATORS

4.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COUPLED OSCILLATORS

4.2 NORMAL MODES OF OSCILLATION

4.3 SUPERPOSITION OF NORMAL MODES

4.4 OSCILLATING MASSES COUPLED BY SPRINGS

4.5 FORCED OSCILLATIONS OF COUPLED OSCILLATORS

4.6 TRANSVERSE OSCILLATIONS

5 TRAVELLING WAVES

5.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WAVES

5.2 TRAVELLING WAVES

5.3 THE WAVE EQUATION

5.4 THE EQUATION OF A VIBRATING STRING

5.5 THE ENERGY IN A WAVE

5.6 THE TRANSPORT OF ENERGY BY A WAVE

5.7 WAVES AT DISCONTINUITIES

5.8 WAVES IN TWO AND THREE DIMENSIONS

6 STANDING WAVES

6.1 STANDING WAVES ON A STRING

6.2 STANDING WAVES AS THE SUPERPOSITION OF TWO TRAVELLING WAVES

6.3 THE ENERGY IN A STANDING WAVE

6.4 STANDING WAVES AS NORMAL MODES OF A VIBRATING STRING

7 INTERFERENCE AND DIFFRACTION OF WAVES

7.1 INTERFERENCE AND HUYGEN’s PRINCIPLE

7.2 DIFFRACTION

8 THE DISPERSION OF WAVES

8.1 THE SUPERPOSITION OF WAVES IN NON-DISPERSIVE MEDIA

8.2 THE DISPERSION OF WAVES

8.3 THE DISPERSION RELATION

8.4 WAVE PACKETS

APPENDIX: SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS

Index

The Manchester Physics Series

General Editors

F.K. LOEBINGER: F. MANDL: D.J. SANDIFORD

School of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Manchester

Properties of Matter:

B.H. Flowers and E. Mendoza

Statistical Physics:

Second Edition

F. Mandl

Electromagnetism:

Second Edition

I.S. Grant and W.R. Phillips

Statistics:

R.J. Barlow

Solid State Physics:

Second Edition

J.R. Hook and H.E. Hall

Quantum Mechanics:

F. Mandl

Computing for Scientists:

R.J. Barlow and A.R. Barnett

The Physics of Stars:

Second Edition

A.C. Phillips

Nuclear Physics

J.S. Lilley

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

A.C. Phillips

Particle Physics:

Third Edition

B.R. Martin and G. Shaw

Dynamics and Relativity

J.R. Forshaw and A.G. Smith

Vibrations and Waves

G.C. King

This edition first published 2009

© 2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

King, George C.

Vibrations and waves / George C. King.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-470-01188-1 – ISBN 978-0-470-01189-8

1. Wave mechanics. 2. Vibration. 3. Oscillations. I. Title.

QC174.22.K56 2009

531′.1133 – dc22

2009007660

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-0-470-01188-1 (HB)

ISBN 978-0-470-01189-8 (PB)

Franz Mandl

(1923–2009)

This book is dedicated to Franz Mandl. I first encountered him as an inspirational teacher when I was an undergraduate. Later, we became colleagues and firm friends at Manchester. Franz was the editor throughout the writing of the book and made many valuable suggestions and comments based upon his wide-ranging knowledge and profound understanding of physics. Discussions with him about the various topics presented in the book were always illuminating and this interaction was one of the joys of writing the book.

Editors’ Preface to the Manchester Physics Series

The Manchester Physics Series is a series of textbooks at first degree level. It grew out of our experience at the University of Manchester, widely shared elsewhere, that many textbooks contain much more material than can be accommodated in a typical undergraduate course; and that this material is only rarely so arranged as to allow the definition of a short self-contained course. In planning these books we have had two objectives. One was to produce short books so that lecturers would find them attractive for undergraduate courses, and so that students would not be frightened off by their encyclopaedic size or price. To achieve this, we have been very selective in the choice of topics, with the emphasis on the basic physics together with some instructive, stimulating and useful applications. Our second objective was to produce books which allow courses of different lengths and difficulty to be selected with emphasis on different applications. To achieve such flexibility we have encouraged authors to use flow diagrams showing the logical connections between different chapters and to put some topics in starred sections. These cover more advanced and alternative material which is not required for the understanding of latter parts of each volume.

Although these books were conceived as a series, each of them is self-contained and can be used independently of the others. Several of them are suitable for wider use in other sciences. Each Author’s Preface gives details about the level, prerequisites, etc., of that volume.

The Manchester Physics Series has been very successful since its inception 40 years ago, with total sales of more than a quarter of a million copies. We are extremely grateful to the many students and colleagues, at Manchester and elsewhere, for helpful criticisms and stimulating comments. Our particular thanks go to the authors for all the work they have done, for the many new ideas they have contributed, and for discussing patiently, and often accepting, the suggestions of the editors.

Finally we would like to thank our publishers, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, for their enthusiastic and continued commitment to the Manchester Physics Series.

F. K. LoebingerF. MandlD. J. SandifordAugust 2008

Author’s Preface

Vibrations and waves lie at the heart of many branches of the physical sciences and engineering. Consequently, their study is an essential part of the education of students in these disciplines. This book is based upon an introductory 24-lecture course on vibrations and waves given by the author at the University of Manchester. The course was attended by first-year undergraduate students taking physics or a joint honours degree course with physics. This book covers the topics given in the course although, in general, it amplifies to some extent the material delivered in the lectures.

The organisation of the book serves to provide a logical progression from the simple harmonic oscillator to waves in continuous media. The first three chapters deal with simple harmonic oscillations in various circumstances while the last four chapters deal with waves in their various forms. The connecting chapter (Chapter 4) deals with coupled oscillators which provide the bridge between waves and the simple harmonic oscillator. Chapter 1 describes simple harmonic motion in some detail. Here the universal importance of the simple harmonic oscillator is emphasised and it is shown how the elegant mathematical description of simple harmonic motion can be applied to a wide range of physical systems. Chapter 2 extends the study of simple harmonic motion to the case where damping forces are present as they invariably are in real physical situations. It also introduces the quality factor Q of an oscillating system. Chapter 3 describes forced oscillations, including the phenomenon of resonance where small forces can produce large oscillations and possibly catastrophic effects when a system is driven at its resonance frequency. Chapter 4 describes coupled oscillations and their representation in terms of the normal modes of the system. As noted above, coupled oscillators pave the way to the understanding of waves in continuous media. Chapter 5 deals with the physical characteristics of travelling waves and their mathematical description and introduces the fundamental wave equation. Chapter 6 deals with standing waves that are seen to be the normal modes of a vibrating system. A consideration of the general motion of a vibrating string as a superposition of normal modes leads to an introduction of the powerful technique of Fourier analysis. Chapter 7 deals with some of the most dramatic phenomena produced by waves, namely interference and diffraction. Finally, Chapter 8 describes the superposition of a group of waves to form a modulated wave or wave packet and the behaviour of this group of waves in a dispersive medium. Throughout the book, the fundamental principles of waves and vibrations are emphasised so that these principles can be applied to a wide range of oscillating systems and to a variety of waves including electromagnetic waves and sound waves. There are some topics that are not required for other parts of the book and these are indicated in the text.

Waves and vibrations are beautifully and concisely described in terms of the mathematical equations that are used throughout the book. However, emphasis is always placed on the physical meaning of these equations and undue mathematical complication and detail are avoided. An elementary knowledge of differentiation and integration is assumed. Simple differential equations are used and indeed waves and vibrations provide a particularly valuable way to explore the solutions of these differential equations and their relevance to real physical situations. Vibrations and waves are well described in complex representation. The relevant properties of complex numbers and their use in representing physical quantities are introduced in Chapter 3 where the power of the complex representation is also demonstrated.

Each chapter is accompanied by a set of problems that form an important part of the book. These have been designed to deepen the understanding of the reader and develop their skill and self-confidence in the application of the equations. Some solutions and hints to these problems are given at the end of the book. It is, of course, far more beneficial for the reader to try to solve the problems before consulting the solutions.

I am particularly indebted to Dr Franz Mandl who was my editor throughout the writing of the book. He read the manuscript with great care and physical insight and made numerous and valuable comments and suggestions. My discussions with him were always illuminating and rewarding and indeed interacting with him was one of the joys of writing the book. I am very grateful to Dr Michele Siggel-King, my wife, who produced all the figures in the book. She constructed many of the figures depicting oscillatory and wave motion using computer simulation programs and she turned my sketches into suitable figures for publication. I am also grateful to Michele for proofreading the manuscript. I am grateful to Professor Fred Loebinger who made valuable comments about the figures and to Dr Antonio Juarez Reyes for working through some of the problems.

George C. King

1

Simple Harmonic Motion

In the physical world there are many examples of things that vibrate or oscillate, i.e. perform periodic motion. Everyday examples are a swinging pendulum, a plucked guitar string and a car bouncing up and down on its springs. The most basic form of periodic motion is called simple harmonic motion (SHM). In this chapter we develop quantitative descriptions of SHM. We obtain equations for the ways in which the displacement, velocity and acceleration of a simple harmonic oscillator vary with time and the ways in which the kinetic and potential energies of the oscillator vary. To do this we discuss two particularly important examples of SHM: a mass oscillating at the end of a spring and a swinging pendulum. We then extend our discussion to electrical circuits and show that the equations that describe the movement of charge in an oscillating electrical circuit are identical in form to those that describe, for example, the motion of a mass on the end of a spring. Thus if we understand one type of harmonic oscillator then we can readily understand and analyse many other types. The universal importance of SHM is that to a good approximation many real oscillating systems behave like simple harmonic oscillators when they undergo oscillations of small amplitude. Consequently, the elegant mathematical description of the simple harmonic oscillator that we will develop can be applied to a wide range of physical systems.

1.1 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SIMPLE HARMONIC OSCILLATORS

Observing the motion of a pendulum can tell us a great deal about the general characteristics of SHM. We could make such a pendulum by suspending an apple from the end of a length of string. When we draw the apple away from its equilibrium position and release it we see that the apple swings back towards the equilibrium position. It starts off from rest but steadily picks up speed. We notice that it overshoots the equilibrium position and does not stop until it reaches the other extreme of its motion. It then swings back toward the equilibrium position and eventually arrives back at its initial position. This pattern then repeats with the apple swinging backwards and forwards . Gravity is the that attracts the apple back to its equilibrium position. It is the of the mass that causes it to overshoot. The apple has kinetic energy because of its motion. We notice that its velocity is zero when its displacement from the equilibrium position is a maximum and so its kinetic energy is also zero at that point. The apple also has potential energy. When it moves away from the equilibrium position the apple’s vertical height increases and it gains potential energy. When the apple passes through the equilibrium position its vertical displacement is zero and so all of its energy must be kinetic. Thus at the point of zero displacement the velocity has its maximum value. As the apple swings back and forth there is a continuous exchange between its potential and kinetic energies. These characteristics of the pendulum are common to all simple harmonic oscillators: (i) periodic motion; (ii) an equilibrium position; (iii) a restoring force that is directed towards this equilibrium position; (iv) inertia causing overshoot; and (v) a continuous flow of energy between potential and kinetic. Of course the oscillation of the apple steadily dies away due to the effects of dissipative forces such as air resistance, but we will delay the discussion of these effects until Chapter 2.