INTRO TO WaveS

PREFLIGHT

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The following three questions refer to the material you were to read in preparation for the lesson. Questions one and three require you to write a three or four sentence response. Number two is a multiple choice question. Click in the appropriate circle.

You may change your mind as often as you wish. When you are satisfied with your responses, click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of this page. Don't submit more than once. (If you absolutely HAVE to resubmit it, put a note on the end to that effect.)

Class, I just realized that the material in this quiz goes with chapter 15, (Giancoli presents it differently than Halliday&Resnick). So concentrate on the two physlets.)

1. AM/FM

Estimate the wavelength (in meters) of your favorite AM or FM radio station. (And tell us where to find it on our radio dial.)

2. The Multiple Choice

Here are the equations of three waves. Rank the waves according to their speed, greatest first:
(1) y(x,t) = 2 sin(4x - 2t),
(2) y(x,t) = 1 sin(6x - 4t),
(3) y(x,t) = 3 sin(6x - 6t),

1, 2, 3
3, 2, 1
3, 1, 2
2, 3, 1

3. A Wave Physlet

Physlet Description

The animation above illustrates a traveling wave. Position is in centimeters and time is in seconds. Place the cursor on the graph and left-click the mouse to get coordinate information.
[Start if not moving]
Find the frequency, wavelength, period, amplitude and speed of the wave animated below.

Credits

Physlet problem authored by Wolfgang Christian

honors extra

Consider a bullwhip that starts out 3cm thick at the handle, and tapers down to 3mm thick at the end, which happens to be 3m long. If I am able to "pulse" the handle fast enough, I can start a transverse wave in the whip. Estimate how long it will take for the wave to reach the tip. Will the wave reflect (and wobble my hand when it returns)? Can you estimate the speed of the tip of the bullwhip when the wave reaches the tip? (Critique the physics explanation given on the web: http://www.bullwhip.org/faq/physics.html)

Below is a space for your thoughts, including general comments about today's assignment (what seemed impossible, what reading didn't make sense, what we should spend class time on, what was "cool", etc.):

You may change your mind as often as you wish. When you are satisfied with your responses, click the SUBMIT button.

I received no help from anyone on this assignment.

Messing with Waves

Physlet Description

The animation above illustrates a traveling waves. Note that it differs slightly from Giancoli. [ReStart if totally confused.]