Can one define wavefronts for waves travelling on a stretched string?
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If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
newtonian-mechanics classical-mechanics waves
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
newtonian-mechanics classical-mechanics waves
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
newtonian-mechanics classical-mechanics waves
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
$endgroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
newtonian-mechanics classical-mechanics waves
newtonian-mechanics classical-mechanics waves
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
asked 11 hours ago
LuciferLucifer
537
537
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
In general, a wavefront is defined as a connected set of points in a wave that are all at the same phase at a given time (usually at the phase corresponding to the maximum displacement.) For a wave traveling in 1-D, the points at which the string is at the same phase are disconnected from each other; so in some sense, each wavefront consists of a single point.
This actually makes sense if you think about it. For a wave traveling in 3-D, the wavefronts are two-dimensional surfaces; for a wave traveling in 2-D, the wavefronts are one-dimensional curves; and so for a wave traveling in 1-D, the wavefronts are zero-dimensional points.
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
Sure thing. You have two independent transverse polarizations; just set up a wave where these two polarizations are 90° out of phase with each other. The result would be a wave that looks like a helix propagating down the string. The animation from Wikipedia below was created with electric fields in a circularly polarized light wave in mind; but the vectors in the animation could equally well represent the displacement of each point of the string from its equilibrium position.
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
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$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
In general, a wavefront is defined as a connected set of points in a wave that are all at the same phase at a given time (usually at the phase corresponding to the maximum displacement.) For a wave traveling in 1-D, the points at which the string is at the same phase are disconnected from each other; so in some sense, each wavefront consists of a single point.
This actually makes sense if you think about it. For a wave traveling in 3-D, the wavefronts are two-dimensional surfaces; for a wave traveling in 2-D, the wavefronts are one-dimensional curves; and so for a wave traveling in 1-D, the wavefronts are zero-dimensional points.
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
Sure thing. You have two independent transverse polarizations; just set up a wave where these two polarizations are 90° out of phase with each other. The result would be a wave that looks like a helix propagating down the string. The animation from Wikipedia below was created with electric fields in a circularly polarized light wave in mind; but the vectors in the animation could equally well represent the displacement of each point of the string from its equilibrium position.
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
In general, a wavefront is defined as a connected set of points in a wave that are all at the same phase at a given time (usually at the phase corresponding to the maximum displacement.) For a wave traveling in 1-D, the points at which the string is at the same phase are disconnected from each other; so in some sense, each wavefront consists of a single point.
This actually makes sense if you think about it. For a wave traveling in 3-D, the wavefronts are two-dimensional surfaces; for a wave traveling in 2-D, the wavefronts are one-dimensional curves; and so for a wave traveling in 1-D, the wavefronts are zero-dimensional points.
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
Sure thing. You have two independent transverse polarizations; just set up a wave where these two polarizations are 90° out of phase with each other. The result would be a wave that looks like a helix propagating down the string. The animation from Wikipedia below was created with electric fields in a circularly polarized light wave in mind; but the vectors in the animation could equally well represent the displacement of each point of the string from its equilibrium position.
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
In general, a wavefront is defined as a connected set of points in a wave that are all at the same phase at a given time (usually at the phase corresponding to the maximum displacement.) For a wave traveling in 1-D, the points at which the string is at the same phase are disconnected from each other; so in some sense, each wavefront consists of a single point.
This actually makes sense if you think about it. For a wave traveling in 3-D, the wavefronts are two-dimensional surfaces; for a wave traveling in 2-D, the wavefronts are one-dimensional curves; and so for a wave traveling in 1-D, the wavefronts are zero-dimensional points.
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
Sure thing. You have two independent transverse polarizations; just set up a wave where these two polarizations are 90° out of phase with each other. The result would be a wave that looks like a helix propagating down the string. The animation from Wikipedia below was created with electric fields in a circularly polarized light wave in mind; but the vectors in the animation could equally well represent the displacement of each point of the string from its equilibrium position.
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
$endgroup$
If I have a wave on a string, can any wavefront be defined for such a wave?
In general, a wavefront is defined as a connected set of points in a wave that are all at the same phase at a given time (usually at the phase corresponding to the maximum displacement.) For a wave traveling in 1-D, the points at which the string is at the same phase are disconnected from each other; so in some sense, each wavefront consists of a single point.
This actually makes sense if you think about it. For a wave traveling in 3-D, the wavefronts are two-dimensional surfaces; for a wave traveling in 2-D, the wavefronts are one-dimensional curves; and so for a wave traveling in 1-D, the wavefronts are zero-dimensional points.
And also is it possible to have circularly polarized string waves?
Sure thing. You have two independent transverse polarizations; just set up a wave where these two polarizations are 90° out of phase with each other. The result would be a wave that looks like a helix propagating down the string. The animation from Wikipedia below was created with electric fields in a circularly polarized light wave in mind; but the vectors in the animation could equally well represent the displacement of each point of the string from its equilibrium position.
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
answered 10 hours ago
Michael SeifertMichael Seifert
15.8k22858
15.8k22858
$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
I like this page's description as well, nice answer-- made me go out and learn more about that image.
$endgroup$
– Magic Octopus Urn
9 hours ago
add a comment |
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