Physics III: Vibrations and Waves

Resource Index

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This resource index gives users access to most of the course resources in a single location.

Instructor Insights

INSTRUCTOR INSIGHTS VIDEOS
Students’ Common Misconceptions Making Time for Individual Questions in a Large Lecture Using Humor to Enhance Learning Using Demonstrations in Class Behind-the-Scenes Demo Prep Taking a Vote to Engage Learners	Combining Chalk Talks and Slides in a Complementary Way Using Questionnaires to Customize Course Content The Role of Recitations Course Iteration: Incorporating Theoretical Content and Demonstrations Tips for Physics Educators

Part I: Mechanical Vibrations and Waves

TITLE	LECTURE VIDEOS	LECTURE NOTES	TEXTBOOK READINGS	PROBLEM SETS	PROBLEM SOLVING HELP VIDEOS*	IN-CLASS DEMONSTRATIONS
Periodic Oscillations, Harmonic Oscillators	Lecture Video 1: Periodic Oscillations, Harmonic Oscillators	Typed Notes for Lecture 1 (PDF) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 1 (PDF - 2.2MB)	Chapter 1: Harmonic Oscillation (PDF - 1.4MB)	Problem Set 1 (PDF)	Simple Harmonic Motion and Introduction to Problem Solving	Air Cart Between Springs Mass on a Spring Two Pendulums with Different Amplitudes
Damped Free Oscillators	Lecture Video 2: Damped Free Oscillators	Typed Notes for Lecture 2 (PDF) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 2 (PDF - 2MB)	Chapter 2: Forced Oscillation and Resonance (PDF - 1.3MB)	None	None	Oscillating Steel Ball on a Track Physical Pendulum Damped and Undamped Masses on a Spring Driven Torsional Balance Oscillator
Driven Oscillators, Transient Phenomena, Resonance	Lecture Video 3: Driven Oscillators, Transient Phenomena, Resonance	Typed Notes for Lecture 3 (PDF - 1.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 3 (PDF - 2.1MB)	Chapter 2: Forced Oscillation and Resonance (PDF - 1.3MB)	Problem Set 2 (PDF)	Harmonic Oscillators with Damping	Driven Cart on Air Track Driven Mechanical Oscillator Breaking Glass with Sound
Coupled Oscillators, Normal Modes	Lecture Video 4: Coupled Oscillators, Normal Modes	Typed Notes for Lecture 4 (PDF) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 4 (PDF - 2.7MB)	Chapter 3: Normal Modes (PDF - 1.4MB)	None	None	Double Pendulum Weighted Hacksaw Blade Two Rigid Pendulums Coupled with a Spring Two Pendulums Coupled with a Rod Wilberforce Pendulum
Beat Phenomena	Lecture Video 5: Beat Phenomena	Typed Notes for Lecture 5 (PDF - 1.1MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 5 (PDF - 1.7MB)	Chapter 3: Normal Modes (PDF - 1.4MB)	Problem Set 3 (PDF)	Coupled Oscillators without Damping	Two Rigid Pendulums Coupled with a Spring Wave Beats Coupled Tunning Forks
Driven Oscillators, Resonance	Lecture Video 6: Driven Oscillators, Resonance	Typed Notes for Lecture 6 (PDF - 1.3MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 6 (PDF - 1.5MB)	Chapter 4: Symmetries (PDF - 1.3MB) Chapter 5: Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (through section 5.2)	None	None	Two Rigid Pendulums Coupled with a Spring Coupled Air Carts
Symmetry, Infinite Number of Coupled Oscillators	Lecture Video 7: Symmetry, Infinite Number of Coupled Oscillators	Typed Notes for Lecture 7 (PDF - 1.1MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 7 (PDF - 1.9MB)	Chapter 4: Symmetries (PDF - 1.3MB) Chapter 5: Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (through section 5.2)	Problem Set 4 (PDF)	Standing Waves Part I Standing Waves Part II	Bell Labs Wave Machine Vibrating Spring (Hand Driven)
Translation Symmetry	Lecture Video 8: Translation Symmetry	Typed Notes for Lecture 8 (PDF - 1.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 8 (PDF - 1.9MB)	Chapter 5: Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (section 5.3 to end) Chapter 6: Continuum Limit and Fourier Series (PDF - 1.2MB) (through section 6.1)	None	None	Bell Labs Wave Machine
Wave Equation, Standing Waves, Fourier Series	Lecture Video 9: Wave Equation, Standing Waves, Fourier Series	Typed Notes for Lecture 9 (PDF - 1.1MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 9 (PDF - 1.7MB)	Chapter 5: Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (section 5.3 to end) Chapter 6: Continuum Limit and Fourier Series (PDF - 1.2MB) (through section 6.1)	Problem Set 5 (PDF)	Traveling Waves without Damping Standing Waves Part I Standing Waves Part II	Bell Labs Wave Machine Rijke Tube
Exam 1 (covers Lecture 1 through Lecture 8)	(no video)	What you should know: How to write down Equation of Motion Undamped, under-damped, critically damped, over-damped Driven oscillator, transient behavior and steady state solution, resonance How to determine the unknown coefficients using initial conditions Coupled systems: What are the normal modes? How to solve M-1K eigenvalue problems and what are the full solutions? Driven coupled oscillator, resonance Symmetry & Infinite coupled system: What is the solution of reflection and translation symmetric system? How to determine the dispersion relation ω(k)?				Exam 1 Formula Sheet (PDF) Practice Exam 1 (PDF)
Traveling Waves	Lecture Video 10: Traveling Waves	Typed Notes for Lecture 10 (PDF - 1.9MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 10 (PDF - 2.4MB)	Chapter 6: Continuum Limit and Fourier Series (PDF - 1.2MB) (section 6.2 to end) Chapter 7: Longitudinal Oscillations and Sound (PDF - 1.3MB) Chapter 8: Traveling Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (through section 8.2)	None	None	Bell Labs Wave Machine (Mismatched Impedance)
Sound Waves	Lecture Video 11: Sound Waves	Typed Notes for Lecture 11 (PDF - 1.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 11 (PDF - 2.4MB)	Chapter 6: Continuum Limit and Fourier Series (PDF - 1.2MB) (section 6.2 to end) Chapter 7: Longitudinal Oscillations and Sound (PDF - 1.3MB) Chapter 8: Traveling Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (through section 8.2)	Problem Set 6 (PDF)	Electromagnetic Waves in a Vacuum	Standing Sound Waves in a Glass Tube Helium Balloon

Part II: Electromagnetic Waves

TITLE	LECTURE VIDEOS	LECTURE NOTES	TEXTBOOK READINGS	PROBLEM SETS	PROBLEM SOLVING HELP VIDEOS*	IN-CLASS DEMONSTRATIONS
Maxwell’s Equation, Electromagnetic Waves	Lecture 12 VideoLecture Video 12: Maxwell’s Equation, Electromagnetic Waves	Typed Notes for Lecture 12 (PDF - 2.6MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 12 (PDF - 3MB)	Chapter 8: Traveling Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (section 8.3 to end) Chapter 9: The Boundary at Infinity (PDF - 1.3MB) (through section 9.2)	None	Electromagnetic Waves in a Vacuum	None
Dispersive Medium, Phase Velocity, Group Velocity	Lecture Video 13: Dispersive Medium, Phase Velocity, Group Velocity	Typed Notes for Lecture 13 (PDF - 1.1MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 13 (PDF - 1.9MB)	Chapter 8: Traveling Waves (PDF - 1.4MB) (section 8.3 to end) Chapter 9: The Boundary at Infinity (PDF - 1.3MB) (through section 9.2)	Problem Set 7 (PDF)	Accelerated Charges Radiating Electromagnetic Waves	Bell Labs Wave Machine
Fourier Transform, AM Radio	Lecture Video 14: Fourier Transform, AM Radio	Typed Notes for Lecture 14 (PDF - 1.3MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 14 (PDF - 2.7MB)	Chapter 10: Signals and Fourier Analysis (PDF - 1.4MB)	None	None	None
Uncertainty Principle, 2D Waves	Lecture Video 15: Uncertainty Principle, 2D Waves	Typed Notes for Lecture 15 (PDF - 1.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 15 (PDF - 2.2MB)	Chapter 10: Signals and Fourier Analysis (PDF - 1.4MB)	Problem Set 8 (PDF)	Interference of Electromagnetic Waves	Chladni Figures (Speaker Driven)
2D and 3D Waves, Snell’s Law	Lecture Video 16: 2D and 3D Waves, Snell’s Law	Typed Notes for Lecture 16 (PDF - 1.8MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 16 (PDF - 2.6MB)	Chapter 11: Two and Three Dimensions (PDF - 1.8MB) Chapter 12: Polarization (PDF - 1.4MB) (through section 12.3)	None	None	Chladni Figures (Speaker Driven) Oscillating Soap Film

Part III: Optics

TITLE	LECTURE VIDEOS	LECTURE NOTES	TEXTBOOK READINGS	PROBLEM SETS	PROBLEM SOLVING HELP VIDEOS*	IN-CLASS DEMONSTRATIONS
Polarization, Polarizer	Lecture Lecture Video 17: Polarization, Polarizer Video	Typed Notes for Lecture 17 (PDF - 1.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 17 (PDF - 2MB)	Chapter 11: Two and Three Dimensions (PDF - 1.8MB) Chapter 12: Polarization (PDF - 1.4MB) (through section 12.3)	None	None	Total Internal Reflection Fiber Optic Bundle Polarization of Microwaves
Exam 2 (covers Lecture 9 through Lecture 16)	(no video)	What you should know: How to use infinite system to solve finite system Continues limit: Wave equations! Solutions to wave equations: Normal modes (Progressing wave solutions standing waves) Matching the boundary of two systems: Reflection and transmission Longitudinal waves: Spring waves and sound waves EM waves: How to calculate electric field and magnetic field from one another, standing EM waves, energy density and Poynting vector Dispersive medium: Dispersive relation, Fourier transform, AM radio and Uncertainty Principle 2D and 3D waves: Normal modes, Snell’s Law				Exam 2 Formula Sheet (PDF - 1.2MB) Practice Exam 2 (PDF)
Wave Plates, Radiation	Lecture Video 18: Wave Plates, Radiation	Typed Notes for Lecture 18 (PDF - 2.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 18 (PDF - 2.2MB)	Chapter 12: Polarization (PDF - 1.4MB) (section 12.4 to end)	None	None	Polarizing Filters and Light Polarization in a Sugar Solution Polarization of Radio Waves (Dipole Antenna)
Waves in Medium	Lecture Video 19: Waves in Medium	Typed Notes for Lecture 19 (PDF) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 19 (PDF - 1.9MB)	Chapter 12: Polarization (PDF - 1.4MB) (section 12.4 to end)	Problem Set 9 (PDF)	None	Brewster’s Angle
Interference, Soap Bubble	Lecture Video 20: Interference, Soap Bubble	Typed Notes for Lecture 20 (PDF) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 20 (PDF - 1.6MB)	Chapter 13: Interference and Diffraction (PDF - 1.6MB)	Problem Set 10 (PDF)	Accelerated Charges Radiating Electromagnetic Waves Interference of Electromagnetic Waves	Reflection off Soap Bubbles Reflection off a Soap Film
Phased Radar, Single Electron Interference	Lecture Video 21: Phased Radar, Single Electron Interference	Typed Notes for Lecture 21 (PDF - 3.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 21 (PDF - 1.8MB)	Chapter 13: Interference and Diffraction (PDF - 1.6MB)	None	None	Ripple Tank (Interference of Two Point Sources) Moiré Pattern Single-Slit Diffraction with a Laser
Diffraction, Resolution	Lecture Video 22: Diffraction, Resolution	Typed Notes for Lecture 22 (PDF) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 22 (PDF - 2MB)	Chapter 13: Interference and Diffraction (PDF - 1.6MB)	None	None	Single-Slit Diffraction with a Laser
Quantum Waves and Gravitational Waves	Lecture Video 23: Quantum Waves and Gravitational Waves	Typed Notes for Lecture 23 (PDF - 1.2MB) Handwritten Notes for Lecture 23 (PDF - 4.6MB)	None	None	None	None
Review for Final Exam	Lecture Video 24: Review for Final Exam	None	None	None	None	None

Final Exam (covers Lecture 1 through Lecture 23)

FORMULA SHEET	PRACTICE FINAL EXAMS	SOLUTIONS
Final Exam Formula Sheet (PDF)	Practice Final Exam 1 (PDF) Practice Final Exam 2 (PDF - 1.3MB) Practice Final Exam 3 (PDF)	<not available>

* Note: This Problem Solving Help video was originally produced as part of a physics course that is no longer available on OCW.

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