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Waves is an important topic from JEE Main / JEE Advanced Exam Point of view. Every year there are
1-2 questions asked from this topic. Some questions can be asked directly. This topic relates to our daily
life, hence it is very easy to understand. This short notes on Waves will help you in revising the topic
before the JEE Main & IIT JEE Advanced Exam.

Waves
Waves: Wave is defined as the travelling disturbance with a well-defined speed along the medium.

1. Longitudinal and Transverse Waves

Wave Motion: Due to the vibration of the particles at their own position caused externally or internally,
the disturbance (Wave) is transferred from particle to particle.

The wave basically carries the energy being transferred from one particle to the neighbouring particle.

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Types of wave motion- Wave motion is mainly two types.

Transverse wave: The waves having the property where all the individual particles experience
displacement perpendicular to the direction of the propagation of the wave. Transverse wave are
generally harmonic wave i.e. either the wave general has the sine or cosine shape.

E.g.: Wave in a string, AC current, etc.

In case of waves in a string, any point on the string vibrates up and down with no horizontal motion at
all. An individual point on the string oscillates with some amplitude as a wave travels past.

Longitudinal waves: The wave in which the particle experiences displacement parallel to the direction
of the propagation.

E.g.: Sound waves, spring motion.

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In the case of sound waves, the vibrations create a series of compressions and expansions and the wave
travels along the compression in the direction of the propagation.

Note: Along with the transverse and the longitudinal waves some waves in nature demonstrate the
combination of both such as Water wave.

Some phenomena occurring in nature cannot be described by a single moving wave instead of a
complex combination of many travelling waves.

2. Term related to Wave Motion

Amplitude (A) - It is defined as the maximum displacement of an oscillating particle of the medium
from the mean position.

Wavelength (λ) - It is defined as the distance travelled by the wave during the time, the particle of the
medium completes one oscillation about its mean position. Or the distance between two consecutive
points in the same phase of wave motion.

Time period (T) - It is defined as the time taken by a particle to complete one oscillation about its mean
position.

Frequency (f) - It is defined as the number of oscillations made by the particle in one second.

Wave speed (v) - It is defined as the distance travelled by the wave in one second. Wave speed is

v = fT, where f is the frequency and T is time period.

Phase- The phase of a wave can be defined as the state of it which defines its position and the direction
of its motion. It tells about the initial state of the wave.

Two particles if found in the same position having same velocities at every time instants, then they are
said to be in the same phase or in-phase and if the particles have their displacements from the mean

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position and even velocity magnitude equal but are opposite in direction, the particles are said to be out
of phase.

The intensity of the wave (I)- It is defined as the amount of energy flow per unit are per time in a
direction perpendicular to the propagation of the wave.

I = 2π2f2A2ρv, where f is the frequency of the wave, A is the amplitude, v is the wave speed, and ρ is the
density of the wave.

Energy density (u) - It is defined as the amount of energy flow per unit volume.

u = 2π2A2v2ρ, where A is the amplitude of the wave, v is the wave speed, and ρ is the density of the
wave.

3. Displacement relation in a progressive wave

Progressive Wave- A wave that travels from one point of the medium to another is called the
progressive wave. A progressive wave may be transverse or longitudinal.

The equation of progressive wave travelling along the +ve direction of wave is given by

, where y is the displacement o the particle at (x, t), A is the amplitude of

the wave, ω is the angular frequency, k is the propagation constant or angular wave number, φ is phase
constant.

Wave speed- It depends only on the nature of the medium in which the wave propagates. Wave

speed,

Particle speed- The speed of the particle in wave motion is,

Particle acceleration- The acceleration of the particle in wave motion is

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4. Superposition of waves
If two or more waves travelling through a medium the resultant wave function at any point is the
algebraic sum of the amplitude of all the individual wave functions. In superposition two travelling
waves can pass through each other without being altered or without experiencing any change in their
natural behaviour.

Fig. Phenomena of the superposition principle in a thread or rope for two waves and.

Three important cases, based on the principle of superposition are:

(a) Interference- Two waves of same frequency and hence wavelength, superpose and lead the
phenomenon of interference.

The phenomenon of overlapping of the waves to produce a resultant wave in a space or region is known
as Interference. There are two types of Interference:

Constructive Interference: If the amplitude displacement of the resultant wave is greater than the
either of the individual pulses travelling in the same direction then the superposition is referred to as
constructive Interference.

Destructive Interference: If the displacement caused by the waves are in opposite direction to each
other the superposition is referred to as destructive interference and the resultant amplitude is smaller as
compared to either of the individual pulses.

(b) Beats- When two waves of nearly equal frequencies travelling with same and moving in the same
direction, superpose to each other give the phenomenon of beats.

Beat frequency- It is defined as the number of beats heard per second.

Beat frequency = Number of beats/second = difference in frequencies = f1 - f2

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4. Stationary Waves
When two waves of the same frequency, wavelength and amplitude travel in opposite directions at the
same speed, their superposition gives the stationary wave. Stationary waves are two types

The equation for a stationary wave is

Stationary waves are characterised by nodes and antinodes.

Nodes are the points for which the amplitude is minimum whereas antinodes are the points for which the
amplitude is maximum. In stationary wave nodes and antinodes are formed alternately and the distance
between them is λ/4.

At antinodes, displacement and velocity is maximum. At nodes, displacement and velocity is zero. The
distance between two consecutive nodes and antinodes is λ/2.

• Vibration in a Stretched string of Length L fixed at both ends- The speed of transverse waves in a
stretched string is,

Where T is the tension in the string, and μ is the mass per unit length of the string.

For the first mode, λ1 = 2L and the fundamental frequency is

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For nth mode,

The frequency of the nth mode is,

• Closed Organ Pipe- In a closed organ pipe, one end is closed and another end is open. In a closed organ
pipe, the closed end is always a node while the open end is always an antinode.

For the first mode, λ1 = 4L, where L is the length of the pipe.

Only odd harmonics are present in the closed organ pipe

For nth mode,

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Frequency,

• Open Organ Pipe- In an open organ pipe, both ends are open. In an open organ pipe, at both ends,
there will be antinodes.

For the first mode, λ1 = 2L, where L is the length of the pipe.

In open organ pipe, all harmonics are present, whereas in a closed organ pipe only odd harmonics are
present.

For nth mode,

Frequency,

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The fundamental frequency of an open organ pipe is twice that of a closed organ pipe of the same
length. If an open pipe of length L is half submerged in water, it will become a closed pipe of length half

that of the open pipe. So its frequency will become

• End Correction (e) - The antinode at the open end of a pipe is not formed exactly at the open end but a
little outside. This is called the end correction.

Due to the end correction, the fundamental frequency of a closed organ pipe is,

Due to the end correction, the fundamental frequency of an open organ pipe is,

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• The speed of sound in air by resonance tube- Speed of sound in air at room temperature by using

resonance tube is given by

where v is the frequency of tuning fork, L1 is first resonance length, and L2 is second resonance length.

End correction is

5. Doppler effect
Doppler effect is the change in the observed frequency of a wave when the source and the observer O
moves relative to the medium.

Case I- Source in motion but observer and medium at rest

• When the source is moving towards the stationary observer

Thus, the source of sound approaches the observer the apparent frequency f' becomes greater than the
true frequency f.

• When the source moves away from a stationary observer

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Thus the source of sound moves away from the observer the apparent frequency f' becomes less than the
true frequency f.

Case II- Observer in motion, the source at rest, medium at rest

• When the observer moves towards the stationary source

Thus when the observer approach towards the stationary source the apparent frequency f' becomes
greater than the true frequency f.

• When the observer moves away from a stationary source

Thus, when the observer moves away from the source of sound then apparent frequency becomes less
than true frequency f.

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