Wave behavior at a boundary
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Intros
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Examples
Lessons
- Reflection from less dense medium
A pulse is sent along a thick rope connected to a thin rope.
- What happens when the pulse reaches the boundary?
- Is the reflected pulse erect or inverted?
- Reflection from denser medium
A pulse is sent along a thin rope connected to a thick rope.
- What happens when the pulse reaches the boundary?
- Is the reflected pulse erect or inverted?
- Reflection from less dense and denser medium
A pulse is sent along a thick rope connected to thin rope which is tied to a wall.
- What happens at point where the ropes are connected?
- What happens at the point where the thin rope is connected to the wall?
Topic Notes
In this lesson, we will learn:
- Reflection at boundaries
- Properties of the reflected waves
Notes:
As waves move from one medium to another partially reflected and partially refracted (transmitted).
- Reflection; The process of bouncing off the boundary between two media.
- The wave striking the boundary is called the incident wave
- The wave bouncing off the boundary is called the reflected wave.
- Refraction; Transmission of the energy from one medium to another. Sound waves change speed due to the temperature.
- Water waves speed changes according to the depth.
- Spring thickness changes the speed of the waves.
- Wave reflecting from less dense medium is ERECT.
Example; reflection from thinner rope into thicker rope
- Wave reflecting from denser medium is INVERTED.
Example; reflection from WALL or from a THICK rope
