Oscillations and Waves
PHY255F
Robin Marjoribanks
McLennan Physics 1104C
marj@physics.utoronto.ca
What makes this course
important?
Vibrations, oscillations and waves appear
in obvious and not-obvious places
they have an enormous impact on
understanding how things work in
astrophysics, thermal physics, quantum
mechanics, optics, condensed-matter
physics, mechanics, atmospheric and
planetary physics, etc., etc.
so it’s a basic literacy in physics
Obvious oscillations
water waves
pendulums
stop sign in a strong wind
earthquakes
car springs, shock absorbers
surface of cup of coffee dragged on table
Oscillations of a bridge
QuickTime™ and a
YUV420 codec decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Less-obvious oscillations
musical instruments
guitar, piano; oboe, flute
suspension bridges
lasers
quartz-crystal electronic watches
radio antennae
fiber optics
car mufflers
Music
same note, different timbre -- why?
recorder
harmonica
Subtle oscillations
heat in a solid
structure of an atom
superconductivity
heat radiation
ozone protection
rings of Saturn
quantum mechanical zero-point energy
particles in string theory
Rings of Saturn
Saturn’s rings
have
substructure,
including
bands, gaps
and radial
spokes...
Topics
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phasor notation
free, damped and forced harmonic oscillations
resonance
AC circuits
coupled oscillators
normal modes
travelling waves
wave equation, impedance
transverse and longitudinal waves
flow of energy in waves
reflection and transmission at interfaces
group and phase velocity
dispersion
Fourier series and Fourier transforms
Approach
multiple resources
textbook
lectures
tutorials
office hours (professor & TA)
other texts
laboratory PHY225H
all are needed
each has particular advantages
Lectures
will concentrate on what lectures do best
won’t just lead you through the textbook
will provide interaction and feedback that
books cannot
will provide demonstrations and
animations
lectures will depend on you having read
ahead also
Textbook
The Physics of Vibrations and Waves,
(Sixth Edition), by H.J. Pain (Wiley,
2005)
5th ed. used in past; try to find used?
available from Amazon.com
i-Clickers
we’ll be using the classroom response
system ‘i-Clickers’
I’ll ask a multiple-choice question, and
be able to poll your responses
you’ll be able to see the class’s response
these are available at the Bookstore, like
textbooks
Contact
emails will be sent to your registered
U of T email address
may include problem set info,
corrections, class cancellation, room
changes, etc.
you’re responsible to check often
Good extra resource
“Vibrations and Waves”, A.P. French
also used last year; try to find used
available from Amazon.com
this book is simpler, sometimes better for
an introduction
is relatively ‘lite’ compared to Pain
Tutorials
TA: Jean-Sébastien Bernier
Mondays 10am, MP134
Tuesdays 10am MP137
solve example questions
review problem-set solutions
question-and-answer
Office Hours
Professor Marjoribanks
Wednesdays 4–5 pm (OK?)
MP1104C
TA: J-S Bernier
for questions about marking, his office
times/day to be determined in tutorial
other questions, please ask in tutorial (or my
class office hours)
Problem sets
Problem set due dates
Wed.
Wed.
Friday
Friday
Friday
3 October
17 October
9 November
23 November
7 December (firm deadline, no extensions)
please hand in to the marker’s drop-box directly
solutions posted on course web-site
late policy: 25% off per day for three days
zero, once solutions are posted (~3 days after)
Marking scheme
Term work:
5 problems
term test
25%
25%
Final exam
final exam
Total:
50%
100%
Comments on texts
The Physics of Vibrations and Waves, H.J. Pain
style is clear but not flowery, not too conversational
gets on with the subject matter
covers course material + numerous important Qs
supply of problems to solve is excellent
book is a ‘keeper’ as useful reference even afterwards
Vibrations and Waves, A.P. French
more conversational text
somewhat less rigorous in its structure
I find it less useful in learning the physics
has been a reliable teaching tool for long time,
 if you have problems with Pain’s style, try French
Midterm test – only impossibles
Mon 22
Tues 23
Wed 24
tutorial
tutorial
PHY255F
3-4
11
PHY485F
4-5
20
7
5-6
9
6-7
Thurs 25
Fri 26
9-10
10-11
PHY255F
11-12
12-1pm
1-2
2-3
PHY485F
5
12
Colloq.
7
8
9
6
√
9
14
20
16
√
7-8
6
15
20
20
1
8-9
5