Table of Contents

Learning tools used in this book
1. Simple Harmonic Motion
1.1 Sinusoidal Oscillations are Everywhere
1.2 The physics and mathematics behind simple harmonic motion
1.3 Important parameters and adjustable constant of simple harmonic motion
1.4 Mass on a spring
1.5 Electrical oscillators
1.6 Review of Taylor Series Approximations
1.7 Euler's equation
1.8 Review of complex numbers
1.9 Complex exponential notation for oscillatory motion
1.10 The complex representation for AC circuits
1.11 Another important complex function: The quantum mechanical wavefunction
1.12 Pure sinusoidal oscillations and uncertainty principles
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

2. Examples of Simple Harmonic Motion
2.1 Requirements for harmonic oscillation
2.2 Pendulums
2.3 Elastic deformations and Young's modulus
2.4 Shear
2.5 Torsion and Torsional Oscillators
2.6 Bending and Cantilevers
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

3. Damped oscillations
3.1 Damped mechanical oscillators
3.2 Damped electrical oscillators
3.3 Exponential decay of energy
3.4 The Quality Factor
3.5 Underdamped, overdamped, and critically damped behavior
3.6 Types of damping
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

4. Driven Oscillations and Resonance
4.1 Resonance
4.2 Effects of damping
4.3 Energy flow
4.4 Linear differential equations, the superposition principle for driven systems, and the response to multiple drive forces
4.5 Transients
4.6 Electrical resonance
4.7 Other examples of resonance: MRI and other spectroscopies
4.8 Non-linear oscillators and chaos
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

5. Symmetric coupled oscillators and Hilbert space
5.1 Beats: An aside?
5.2 Two symmetric coupled oscillators: equations of motion
5.3 Normal modes
5.4 Superposing normal modes
5.5 Normal mode analysis, and normal modes as an alternate description of reality
5.6 Hilbert Space and bra-ket notation
5.7 The analogy between coupled oscillators and molecular energy levels
5.8 Non-zero initial velocities
5.9 Damped, driven coupled oscillators
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

6. Asymmetric coupled oscillators and the eigenvalue equation
6.1 Matrix math
6.2 Equations of motion and the eigenvalue equation
6.3 Procedure for solving the eigenvalue equation
6.4 Systems with more than two objects
6.5 Normal mode analysis for mulit-object, asymmetrical systems
6.6 More matrix math
6.7 Orthogonality of normal modes, normal mode coordinates, degeneracy, and scaling of Hilbert space for unequal masses
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

7. String theory
7.1 The beaded string
7.2 Standing wave guess: Boundary conditions quantize the allowed frequencies
7.3 The highest possible frequency; connection to waves in a crystalline solid
7.4 Normal mode analysis for the beaded string
7.5 Longitudinal oscillations
7.6 The continuous string
7.7 Normal mode analysis for continuous systems
7.8 k-space
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

8. Fourier analysis
8.1 Introduction
8.2 The Fourier Expansion
8.3 Expansions using non-normalized orthogonal basis functions
8.4 Finding the coefficients in the Fourier expansion
8.5 Fourier Transforms and the meaning of negative frequency
8.6 The Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT)
8.7 Some applications of Fourier analysis
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

9. Traveling waves
9.1 Introduction
9.2 The Wave Equation
9.3 Traveling sinusoidal waves
9.4 The Superposition Principle for traveling waves
9.5 Electromagnetic waves in vacuum
9.6 Electromagnetic waves in matter
9.7 Waves on transmission lines
9.8 Sound Waves
9.9 Musical Instruments based on tubes
9.10 Power carried by rope and electromagnetic waves; RMS amplitudes
9.11 Intensity of sound waves; decibels
9.12 Dispersion relations and group velocity
Concept and skill inventory
Problems

10. Waves at interfaces
10.1 Reflections and the idea of boundary conditions
10.2 Transmitted waves
10.3 Characteristic impedances for mechanical systems
10.4 "Universal" expressions for transmission and reflection
10.5 Reflected and transmitted waves for transmission lines
10.6 Reflection and transmission for electromagnetic waves in matter: normal incidence
10.7 Reflection and transmission for sound waves, and summary of isomorphisms
10.8 Snell's Law
10.9 Total Internal Reflection and evanescent waves
Concept and skill inventory
Problems
Appendix A: Group velocity for an arbitrary envelope function
Index

About the Author

Walter Fox Smith combines his passions for teaching and nanophysics research at Haverford College. His research centers on the photoelectronic properties of self-assembling molecular electronics. He is also known as "the singing physics professor", thanks to his compositions and performances in the classroom and at social gatherings of physicists.

Reviews

Listed in New Books, Physics Today
"This book provides a rigorous introduction to a host of wave and oscillation phenomena and their real-world and research applications, while at the same time laying the mathematical and conceptual groundwork for upper level physics classes. I strongly recommend this book for use in a course that serves as a bridge for students who are making the transition from introductory courses into an upper-level curriculum."
Prof. Nathan Harshman, American University