Preparatory Cycle / Semester 4 / 2025-2026
Physics 4: Waves
Tutorial 2: Vibrating String
Exercise 1 b) By seeking a solution of the form
A transverse sinusoidal wave of amplitude 4 cm and u(x, t) = f (x) g(t)
wavelength 0.5 m propagates along a stretched string
show that the string supports sinusoidal standing
under a tension of 100 N and having a linear mass den-
waves.
sity of 10 g/m. Determine the wave function describing
this wave in the following two cases:
Exercise 5
a) The wave propagates in the positive x-direction. A string of length L and linear mass density µ has one
b) The wave propagates in the negative x-direction. end fixed at x = 0, while the other end at x = L is sub-
jected to a transverse sinusoidal force F (t) = F0 cos ωt.
At equilibrium, the string is stretched under a tension
Exercise 2 T and lies along the x-axis.
An infinitely long rope is stretched along the x-axis. a) Determine, in the steady-state regime, the trans-
Two traveling transverse waves propagate in opposite verse displacement u(x, t) at a point M of abscissa
directions along the rope. At time t = 0 s, both waves x and at time t.
have a triangular shape and are moving toward each
other (see the figure below). The propagation speed of b) Calculate the resonance frequencies of the string.
the waves is v = 10 m s−1 .
Exercise 6
A very long string with a linear mass density of 0.2
kg/m is stretched under a tension of 500 N. Determine:
a) The speed of transverse waves propagating along
the string.
b) The average power transmitted by the wave if
Sketch the shape of the rope at time t = 0.02 s. On the it propagates with an amplitude of 1 cm and a
figure, mark points A and B of the rope (at positions wavelength of 0.5 m.
±15 cm and include enough details (dimensions) to
fully determine the shape of the rope.
Exercise 7
An infinite string with linear mass density µ is sub-
Exercise 3
jected to a constant tension T . A point mass M is
A horizontal string of mass m = 1 g and length L = 2 m attached to the string at x = 0 (see the figure below).
is stretched under a tension T = 5 N. The string is fixed A harmonic wave of angular frequency ω propagates
at both ends and is made to vibrate in stationary waves from x = −∞ in the positive x-direction. The weight
by a vibrator of frequency f = 100 Hz placed exter- of the string is neglected, and only small transverse
nally. Determine the distance between two successive displacements u(x, t) are considered.
nodes.
Exercise 4
Consider a string of length L and linear mass density
µ, fixed at both ends x = 0 and x = L. The string is a) Write the expressions of u1 (x, t) for negative x and
stretched under a tension T . u2 (x, t) for positive x in terms of the reflection
coefficient R and the transmission coefficient T ,
a) Write down the boundary conditions for the string. defined for the displacement at the point x = 0.
1/2
b) Show that the transverse force acting on M can a) Calculate, in terms of µ, T , and α, the reflection
be written as: coefficient R for the displacement at x = 0. Also,
∂u2 (0, t) ∂u1 (0, t) specify any phase shifts that occur upon reflection.
F (0, t) = T −
∂x ∂x
b) Show that the resulting vibratory displacement
c) Using the continuity of the displacement at x = 0 can be written as
and applying Newton’s second law to the mass M ,
determine the reflection coefficient R at x = 0. u(x, t) = A(x) ui (x, t),
d) What are the limiting values of R as M → 0 and
M → ∞? Explain the state of the string in these where A(x) depends on R and k.
two cases.
c) The standing wave ratio is defined as
Exercise 8 |A(x)|max
ρ= .
A very long horizontal string with linear mass density |A(x)|min
µ is stretched under a tension T . The end (O) at x = 0
is attached to a small massless ring that can slide along Calculate ρ in terms of the reflection coefficient R.
a vertical rod and is subject to a viscous friction force
F = αv0 ((α > 0), where v0 is the vertical velocity of
point O. A progressive sinusoidal incident wave
ui (x, t) = u0 ei(ωt−kx)
propagates along the string in the positive x-direction
for x < 0. Reflection occurs at the termination x = 0.
a+b a−b
sin a + sin b = 2 sin cos
2 2
2/2