Solved: (a) Explain why any wave described by a function | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics

Chapter 15 Problem 65P

Question

any wave described by a function of the form \(y(x, t)=f(x-v t)\) moves in the \(+x\)-direction with speed \(v\). (b) Show that \(y(x, t)=f(x-v t)\) satisfies the wave equation, no matter what the functional form of To do this, write \(y(x, t)=f(u)\), where \(u=x-v t\). Then, to take partial derivatives of \(y(x, t)\), use the chain rule:

\(\frac{\partial y(x, t)}{\partial t}=\frac{d f(u)}{d u} \frac{\partial u}{\partial t}=\frac{d f(u)}{d u}-v\)

\(\frac{\partial y(x, t)}{\partial t}=\frac{d f(u)}{d u} \frac{\partial u}{\partial x}=\frac{d f(u)}{d u}\)

(c) A wave pulse is described by the function \(y(x, t)=D e^{-(B x-C t)^{2}}\), where , and are all positive constants. What is the speed of this wave?

Solution

Solution 65P

Step 1

(a)

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Title Sears and Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics 13 
Author Hugh D. Young; Roger A. Freedman; A. Lewis Ford
ISBN 9780321696861

Solved: (a) Explain why any wave described by a function

Chapter 15 textbook questions

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