Traveling Waves

This section contains documents that could not be made accessible to screen reader software. A "#" symbol is used to denote such documents.

Video Clips

Traveling Waves (8.02, Spring 2002)

Video RealVideo®
8:48 minutes (0:00 - 8:48)

Definition, including wavelength, wave number, frequency, period, and amplitude. Mention of electromagnetic waves as a kind of traveling wave.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Review: Traveling Waves (8.02, Spring 2002)

Video RealVideo®
7:43 minutes (17:21 - 25:04)

Equations for a traveling wave in a string, including frequency, wavelength, and wave number. Wave equations and the Poynting vector for traveling electromagnetic waves.

Prior Knowledge: Traveling Waves (beginning of video lecture 26) and Electromagnetic Waves (15:10 of video lecture 27)
Back to Top

Lecture Notes

Traveling and Standing Waves (8.02T, Spring 2005)

Document PDF
Page 1 to page 10

Definition of traveling waves, with example of a traveling sine wave. Amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period, and angular frequency pointed out on diagram. Standing waves and superposition defined with diagrams. Link to Tacoma Narrows bridge oscillation.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Waves: Electromagnetic Radiation (8.02T, Spring 2005)

Document PDF#
Page 11 to page 26

Links to visualizations illustrating the concept of electromagnetic radiation. Traveling waves are defined, with diagrams and example of a traveling sine wave. Wavelength, amplitude, period, frequency, and angular frequency demonstrated in a diagram. Diagram of the electromagnetic wave spectrum. Direction of propagation of electromagnetic waves.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Review: Waves (8.02T, Spring 2005)

Document PDF#
Page 18 to page 21

Equations for a traveling sine wave, electromagnetic waves, interference, and diffraction.

Prior Knowledge: Material is from Presentations 28 and 30.
Back to Top

Practice Problems

Waves (8.02T, Spring 2005)

Document PDF
Problem 5 to problem 8

Two questions about a cosine wave and an electromagnetic wave, with answers and explanation.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Traveling Wave (8.02, Spring 2002)

Document PDF
Problem 4

4-part problem; finding A, f, p, v, λ, ν, and sketching the wave; finding transverse speed and standing waves.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Standing Waves (8.02, Spring 2002)

Document PDF
Problem 5

4-part problem; finding λ, ν, f, p and sketching; finding transverse speed and propagation speed.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Sonic Pulses (8.02, Spring 2002)

Document PDF
Problem 6

Calculating time error for bat's measurement; scale error for methane-filled cave.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Sound Wave (8.02X, Spring 2005)

Document PDF
Problem 1

How do you know sound is not an EM wave?

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Exam Question

Traveling Wave (8.02, Spring 2002)

Document PDF
Problem 1

Finding the equation for a traveling wave in the x-z plane given v, A, and f.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

Java Applet

Java Applet Java Applet
Requires Java Virtual Machine

Video animation showing the electric and magnetic fields of a propagating plane wave.

Prior Knowledge: None
Back to Top

MIT courses referenced in this section: