Question

Discuss some important characteristics of wave motion.

Answer 1

Hint: The transfer of momentum and energy from one point in a medium to another point in the medium without the actual transfer of matter between the points is termed wave motion. In another point of view, it will be described as the propagation of disturbances through a medium that originates because of repeated vibrations of the particles about their mean positions. The disturbance is produced by the waves as the function of the time and this function is defined as the wave function. It should be the displacement of particles in the case of string and maybe a variation of density in the case of sound waves.

Complete step-by-step solution:
The important characteristics of wave motions are
The velocity of a particle is high at the mean position and zero at the extreme position.
Velocity through which wave travel is different from the rate of velocity through which particles vibrate.
Disturbances that originate because of repeated vibrations of the particles about their mean positions travel through the medium.
There may be a phase difference between the particles of the medium due to each particle being subjected to disturbance a little later than its preceding particle.
Momentum and energy are transferred from one point to another without any actual transfer of the particles of the medium.

Note: When continuous particles oscillate about their mean positions at different phases a wave motion is produced. One in each of the properties of a wave is that it replicates itself after an equal interval of length. Another property of wave motion is that it’s a technique of transfer of energy. There are two varieties of waves. One may be a longitudinal wave and therefore the other could be a transverse wave. The oscillations of the particles that are parallel to the propagation of the wave are called longitudinal waves. The oscillations of the particles that are perpendicular to the propagation of the wave are called transverse waves.