- #1
Taniaz
- 364
- 1
Homework Statement
I am really confused with the equations.
For traveling waves, in some places they write y = A cos (kx - wt) for waves traveling in the positive x-direction. Then some write y = A sin (wt - kx) for waves traveling in the positive x-direction while others write
y = - A sin (wt - kx) or y = A sin (kx - wt) all for waves traveling in the positive x - direction.
Then for standing waves, in the example in our book, they used the case of an incident wave at a fixed end causing an inverted reflection so they used y = A cos (kx - wt) for positive and y = - A cos (kx + wt) for the negative and inverted reflected wave to get a standing wave equation of y = 2 A sin kx sin wt whereas in other places they used one of the million above mentioned sine functions and got an answer of y = 2 A sin kx cos wt.
So confused as to what is right! They want us to use the sine functions. Please help, thank you.
Homework Equations
y = A cos (kx - wt)
y = A sin (wt - kx)
y = - A sin (wt - kx) or y = A sin (kx - wt)
y = 2 A sin kx sin wt
y = 2 A sin kx cos wt
The Attempt at a Solution
As mentioned above.