Lesson

Mechanical Waves
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What’s In

We learned from Lesson 1 of this module that there are many kinds of motion
that repeat themselves over and over. We call this motion as periodic motion or
oscillation. As you read through the concepts of Lesson 1, you realized that periodic
motion is used to model a wide range of physical phenomena. It is also important
because it generates waves, which is the focus of this lesson. Many of the terms and
equations we used in Lesson 1 to 2 will be applied in this lesson as we study wave
motion especially that of the mechanical waves.

What I Need to Know

After this lesson, you should be able to:
1. Define mechanical wave, longitudinal wave, transverse wave, periodic wave, and
sinusoidal wave (STEM_GP12PM-IId-31);and
2. From a given sinusoidal wave function infer the speed, wavelength, frequency,
period, direction, and wave number (STEM_GP12PMIId-32).

What’s New
Direction: Perform Activity 3.10 and answer the questions. Use a
separate sheet of paper for your answer.
Activity 3.10: Making Waves
Learning Target: To generate and describe transverse and longitudinal waves
Materials: string or elastic band, coil or “slinky”
Procedure:
Activity 1: Tape one end of a string to a desk.Then pull the string so it is tight, but lays flat against
the desk. Then generate travelling transverse waves by wiggling the free end of the string up and
down briskly.
Activity 2: Consider a coil or spring that is lying on a tabletop. Jerk one end horizontally to and fro
to produce longitudinal wave.
Questions:
1. A medium is a matter to which a wave travels. In Activity 1, what is the medium? In activity
2, what is the medium?
2. Describe the motion of the medium and compare this with the movement of the travelling
wave.

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 What Is It
In your lower years, you came across the term “waves”. You are aware
that the ripples on a pond, sound, light, wiggles of the slinky, radio and
television transmissions are all wave phenomena.
Wave is a periodic disturbance that travels through matter or space and
transfers energy, not matter, from one location to another. The repetitive motion
called vibration, causes the formation of waves. Therefore, wave is also considered
as a simple harmonic motion.
Waves come in different types and forms such as the mechanical waves
and the electromagnetic waves. In this lesson, we will focus on mechanical waves.

Mechanical waves
Mechanical waves are disturbances that transfers energy through a
medium. Mechanical waves cannot propagate through a vacuum.
Medium is the matter through which the mechanical waves travel. The
medium can be any state of matter (solid, liquid or gas).
There are two main types of mechanical waves based on the direction of the
displacement of the particles of the medium through which the waves travel. These
are longitudinal waves and transverse waves.

Transverse wave
If we wiggle the free end of the spring as
in Figure 3.4, a transverse wave is formed. The
particles of the medium are displaced
perpendicular to the direction in which a wave
travels. This means that the medium’s particles
oscillate up and down about their individual
equilibrium positions at right angle to the
direction of the wave propagation. Examples:
ripples on the surface of the water, vibrations in a
guitar string, seismic S-waves. Source: physicsclassroom.com
Fig.3.4 A Transverse Wave
Longitudinal wave
If we give the spring a back-and-forth
motion as in Figure 3.5, a longitudinal wave is
formed. The particles of the medium are
displaced parallel to the direction in which a
wave travels. This means that the medium’s
particles oscillate back and forth about their
individual equilibrium positions along the same
direction of wave propagation. Examples:
sound waves, seismic P-waves, ultrasound
Source: physicsclassroom.com
waves.
. Fig. 3.5 A Longitudinal Wave

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 Consider a spring whose free end is given a
repetitive motion as shown in the right. It can be
noticed that a series of wave pulses is produced. It
is also observed that each particle in the spring will
also experience periodic motion as the wave travels
through it. In this case, we have a periodic wave.
Sinusoidal waves is produced when a periodic
wave is in simple harmonic motion.
Source: pinterest.com
Fig. 3.6. A Perioidic Wave
Figure 3.7 shows the anatomy of a periodic wave, particularly a sinusoidal wave. The
horizontal dashed line of the diagram represents the equilibrium or rest position of
the transverse wave. This is the position that the transverse wave would assume if
there were no disturbance moving through it.

Fig. 3.7 A Sinusoidal Wave

Crest: It is the highest point or the peak of a transverse wave.

Trough: It is the lowest point on a transverse wave.
Characteristics of a Periodic Wave
Amplitude(A): The maximum displacement of a particle on the medium from the
equilibrium position.
Wavelength ( : The distance between two successive crests or throughs.
Frequency ( : The number of waves that pass a particular point for every one
second
Period (T): The time required for one complete wave to pass a particular point.

These characteristics of the wave can be determined using the sinusoidal wave
function.
Wave Function for a Sinusoidal Wave
Recall that periodic waves that oscillates in simple harmonic motion generates
sinusoidal waves. When sinusoidal waves travel through a medium, every particle in the
medium undergoes simple harmonic motion with the same frequency and is displaced from
its equilibrium as a function of both position (x) and time (t). This is express in the general
form of a sinusoidal wave below.

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 ( ( ) sinusoidal wave function Equation 3.7
Where:
(Unit: m) (
( rad/m) (Unit: rad/s)
= phase constant

Consider a transverse harmonic wave traveling in the

positive x-direction as shown in Figure 3.8. The
displacement (y) of a particle in the medium is given
as a function of x and t as shown in this equation:
( ( ) Equation 3.8
(sinusoidal wave moving in +x-direction)
Fig. 3.8. A Sinusoidal Wave Travelling in the +x-
direction
If the displacement (y) of the wave is zero at t=0 and x=0, then . Equation 3.8 is
reduced to:
( ( ) (sinusoidal wave moving in +x-direction) Equation 3.9

When a transverse harmonic wave travels in the negative x-direction, the equation will
become:
( ( ) (sinusoidal wave moving in -x-direction) Equation 3.10

We can use these sinusoidal wave functions to determine the characteristics of the
sinusoidal wave.
Steps in Finding the Characteristics of a Sinusoidal Wave
1. To get the sinusoidal wave’s amplitude, wavelength, period, frequency, speed,
direction and wave number, write down the wave function in the form:

( ( ).

( (
( (

2. The amplitude can be taken directly from the equation and is equal to
3. Derive the period of the wave from the angular frequency, thus, you will get,

4. Use to get the frequency of the wave.

5. The wave number can be found using the equation: .
6. The wavelength can be derived from the wave number

7. The speed of the wave is:

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Sample Problems:
1. A transverse wave on a string is described by the wave function:
( (
Find the:
a) amplitude e) period
b) wave number f) speed of the wave
c) angular frequency g) direction of the wave
d) wavelength h) frequency of the wave
Solution: The wave function is in the form ( ( .Therefore,
a. Amplitude
b. The wave number can be read directly from the wave equation:
rad/m
c. The angular frequency is:
d. The wavelength can be found using the equation: =1.0 m
e. To get the period:
f. Speed of the wave,
g. The wave function is in the form ( ( .Therefore, the
wave is moving in the positive direction as denoted by the negative sign
between .
h. The frequency is

2. A wave travelling along a string is denoted by:

( (
Solve for:
a) Amplitude e) period
b) wave number f) speed
c) angular frequency g) direction of the wave
d) wavelength h) frequency

Solution:
a) e)
b) f)

c) g) + x- direction
d) h)

3. A sinusoidal wave travelling on a rope has a period of 0.025 s , speed of 30

m/s and an amplitude of 0.021525 m. At t=0, the element of the string has
zero displacement and is moving in the +x-direction. Find the following wave
characteristics:
a) frequency, d) wavelength,
b) angular frequency, e) Write the wave function
c) wave number,
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 Solution
a)
b)
c)
d)
e) ( (

What’s More
Activity 3.11: Solving Sinusoidal Wave Function

Direction: Solve the following problems. Show your complete solutions legibly and
concisely in a separate sheet of paper.
1. A travelling wave is represented by the function:

𝒚(𝒙 𝒕 𝟎 𝟎𝟎𝟗 𝒎 𝒔𝒊𝒏 (𝟏 𝟐 𝒎 𝟏 𝒙 𝟓 𝟎𝒔 𝟏 𝒕)

Find the following:

a) Amplitude b) wave number c. wavelength
d) angular frequency e) frequency f) wave speed

2. A travelling sinusoidal wave has this equation:

𝒚(𝒙 𝒕 𝟎 𝟎𝟒𝟓𝟎 𝒎 𝐬𝐢𝐧(𝟐𝟓 𝟏𝟐 𝒎 𝟏 𝒙 𝟑𝟕 𝟔𝟖𝒔 𝟏𝒕 𝟎 𝟓𝟐𝟑)

Find the following:

b) Amplitude b) wave number c. wavelength
d) angular frequency e) frequency f) phase angle

What I Have Learned

Activity 3.12: Fill the Wave
Directions: Read each statement below carefully and fill in the blanks with the correct
answer. Choose your answer from the word bank provided below. Each word can
only be used once. Use separate sheet of paper for your answer.
1. A ______ is a vibration that moves through space.
2. The source of a wave is a ___________ or _____________________.
3. The material through which a wave travel is called the _______________.
4. Waves carry _____ and can be described as a ___________ which travels
uniformly from its source.
5. Amplitude of a wave is measured from a wave’s crest to its______.
6. Wave ______ = frequency x wavelength
7. A________wave requires a medium to propagate

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 8. In a longitudinal wave, the motion of the particle is________ the wave’s
direction of propagation.
9. In a transverse wave, the motion of the particles is _____ the wave’s direction
of propagation.
10. A sinusoidal wave is a periodic wave in ___________.
Word Box

Simple harmonic motion wave parallel oscillation mechanical

Equilibrium position perpendicular vibration medium speed
energy

What I Can Do
Activity 3.13 : Geology: Physics of Seismic Waves
Geologists rely heavily on physics to study earthquakes since earthquakes involve several types of
wave disturbances, including disturbance of Earth’s surface and pressure disturbances under the
surface. Surface earthquake waves are similar to surface waves on water. The waves under
Earth’s surface have both longitudinal and transverse components. The longitudinal waves in an
earthquake are called pressure waves (P-waves) and the transverse waves are called shear waves
(S-waves). These two types of waves propagate at different speeds, and the speed at which they
travel depends on the rigidity of the medium through which they are traveling. During earthquakes,
the speed of P-waves in granite is significantly higher than the speed of S-waves. Both
components of earthquakes travel more slowly in less rigid materials, such as sediments. P-waves
have speeds of 4 to 7 km/s, and S-waves have speeds of 2 to 5 km/s, but both are faster in more
rigid materials. The P-wave gets progressively farther ahead of the S-wave as they travel through
Earth’s crust. For that reason, the time difference between the P- and S-waves is used to
determine the distance to their source, the epicenter of the earthquake.
We know from seismic waves produced by earthquakes that parts of the interior of Earth are liquid.
Shear or transverse waves cannot travel through a liquid and are not transmitted through Earth’s
core. In contrast, compression or longitudinal waves can pass through a liquid and they do go
through the core.
All waves carry energy, and the energy of earthquake waves is easy to observe based on the
amount of damage left behind after the ground has stopped moving. Earthquakes can shake whole
cities to the ground, performing the work of thousands of wrecking balls. The amount of energy in a
wave is related to its amplitude. Large-amplitude earthquakes produce large ground displacements
and greater damage. As earthquake waves spread out, their amplitude decreases, so there is less
damage the farther they get from the source.

Excerpt from openstax.com

Questions:
1. Which among the three earthquake waves is a longitudinal wave?
2. Which among the three earthquake waves is a transverse wave?
3. Can s-waves travel through the interior of the Earth? Why or why not?
4. How does the earthquake waves provide evidence that waves carry energy?

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