Propagation of Oscillation

Abstract

A series of simple harmonic oscillators, which represents masses connected by springs, is a good conceptual medium in which sound travels as a wave. This chapter focusses on oscillation propagating via connected oscillators as a wave that originated in initial disturbance in a local portion of a medium. A sound wave travels by a process in which the kinetic energy alternates with the potential energy of oscillation. Such an energy exchange system following the energy preservation law defines the speed of a wave traveling in a medium. Displacement or velocity of a medium in which a wave travels are converted into each other in the wave. This type of propagation scheme is a key for sound wave propagation. Finally a mathematical expression that governswave motion travelling with a finite speed is derived by taking a limit case where harmonic oscillators are “embedded” into continuous distributions of masses with the elastic restoring force.