PHY293

Oscillations and Waves

Topics | Textbook | Correspondence | Lecture Notes

Topics

In this part of the course we will study the physics of oscillations and waves. By the time we are done you should have an appreciation for the mathematical description we have for oscillatory phenomena and be aware of some of the complex phenomena that can arise from relatively simple oscillating systems.

Textbook

Correspondence

I will try to post mail messages I receive from members of the class -- with my answers -- here . If you have a question it might be worth checking here first, and if I get similar questions I will point out where I think I have answered it before.

The first tutorials for PHY293/Oscillations will be held on Thursday September 16. They will continue six weeks in a row until October 21. Professor Savaria will advise on when the tutorials will start for the second part of the course, but there will likely be a one week break for PHY293 tutorials in the middle of the term.

Lecture Notes

What follows is the outline for this part of the course. I will post some notes after each lecture, but they will not be finalised until after the lectures are given. So I won't be able to post them any earlier. Until then the links will just be 'broken'.

Similarly problem sets will be posted on the day they are going out, before the lectures, not earlier.

	Lecture Date	Topic	Textbook Reference	Problem Sets	Practice Materials
	September 7	Intro/Oscillations in Nature
	September 10	Simple Harmonic Motion	Sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.4
	September 13	Damped Oscillations	Sections 2.1, 2.2
	September 14	Energy and Q-value of Oscillators	Sections 2.3, 2.4	Problem Set #1	Alternate Problems #1
	September 17	Forced Oscillations	Sections 3.1, 3.2
	September 20	Resonant Oscillations	Sections 3.3, 3.4	Solutions 1
	September 21	Power Transfer at Resonance	Section 3.5	Problem Set #2	Alternate Problems #2
	September 24	Coupled Oscillations	Sections 4.1, 4.2		Review of Ch 1-3
	September 27	Eigenmode Solutions	Section 4.3	Solutions 2
	September 28	Orthogonality of Solutions			Practice Midterm
	October 1	Initial Value Problems	Section 4.4		Practice Midterm Solutions
	October 4	The Wave Equation	Sections 5.3, 5.4		Midterm Test & Solutions
	October 5	Standing Waves on a String	Section 6.1	Problem Set # 3	Alternate Problems #3
	October 8	Normal Modes of Vibrating String	Sections 6.3, 6.4
	October 12	Sound as a Longitudinal Wave		Problem Set #4	Alternate Problems #4
	October 15	Traveling Waves	Sections 5.1, 6.2	Solutions 3
	October 18	Reflection/Transmission of Waves	Sections 5.7	Solutions 4
	October 19	Energy Flow in Waves	Sections 5.5, 5.6	Extra Practice Problems	Solutions to Extra Practice Problems
	October 22	Dispersion and Wave Packets	Sections 8.2, 8.3, 8.4	Practice Problems for Final Exam	Practice Solutions + Equation Sheet

Problem sets are due at 5:00pm on the Monday following their assignment. They should be left in the course's problem-set drop box in the basement of the McLennan Physics building (across from the elevators -- where you have been handing in past Physics course problem sets). Your tutors will pick them up, grade them and return them in tutorial that week.

Web Site: on www.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy293h1f/293_waves.html

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