A slinky toy is oscillating so pulses of lengthwise compression and rarefaction

Question

A slinky toy is oscillating so pulses of lengthwise compression and rarefaction (stretched areas) alternate regularly and are seen to travel along the length of the toy. (a) Briefly describe the main characteristic of this kind of wave motion. Name the type of wave. (b) In contrast, in a vibrating string, troughs and crests are seen to travel along the length of the string. What kind of wave is this? What is its main characteristic? (c) Give one additional example of each of the kinds of waves in (a) and (b). (d) What kind(s) of wave(s) are characteristic of propagating sounds? A guitar string is vibrating at the rate of 3600 oscillations every minute. Give the period T and the frequency f of the sound. A sound traveling in air has a velocity of 340 m/s and a frequency of 200 Hz. What is its wavelength? What would be the wavelength if the frequency was (a) 1/2, (b) six times as great? If the sound travels at three the velocity in a enser medium while the frequency remains the same, what are the wavelength of the preceding cases?

Explanation / Answer

1) a)If direction of motion of particles is along the direction of propagation of wave, then compression and rarefaction occur and this type of wave is longitudinal wave.

b)

If direction of motion of particles is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of wave, then trough and crest occur and this type of wave is transverse wave.

c) longitudinal wave is sound wave and transverse wave example is waves on the surface of water.

d) Sound is a longitudinal wave.

2) Time period is time taken to complete one oscillation.

here, T = 60/3600 s = 1/60 s

frequency, f = 1/T= 60 Hz

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