Here's a bAnGeR for yall.
In physics third year we were learning about the different ways that a transverse pulse on a taut string reflects at different boundaries. Let's take the particular boundary of a ring sliding up and down a rod with no friction between rod and ring - the ring just holds the tension in the rope. The pulse seems to 'squash' and reach twice its amplitude before returning with the same phase/sign, right? Of course you could explain this by thinking of it in terms of the wave interfering with itself, or using some mathematical magicry, but can you find a purely physical explanation for this behaviour? Yknow, newtons laws on each mass element n whatnot. Why does it return with the same sign/transverse direction? Why does it reach twice amplitude? Why doesn't the ring just stay in its new displacement?
tl;dr:
>Transverse pulse on taut string contacts free/soft boundary.
>Pulse 'squashes,' reaches twice amplitude, returns with same sign, and boundary returns to 0 displacement.
>Can you think of a satisfying physical explanation for these phenomena? Like newtons laws on each string element?
In physics third year we were learning about the different ways that a transverse pulse on a taut string reflects at different boundaries. Let's take the particular boundary of a ring sliding up and down a rod with no friction between rod and ring - the ring just holds the tension in the rope. The pulse seems to 'squash' and reach twice its amplitude before returning with the same phase/sign, right? Of course you could explain this by thinking of it in terms of the wave interfering with itself, or using some mathematical magicry, but can you find a purely physical explanation for this behaviour? Yknow, newtons laws on each mass element n whatnot. Why does it return with the same sign/transverse direction? Why does it reach twice amplitude? Why doesn't the ring just stay in its new displacement?
tl;dr:
>Transverse pulse on taut string contacts free/soft boundary.
>Pulse 'squashes,' reaches twice amplitude, returns with same sign, and boundary returns to 0 displacement.
>Can you think of a satisfying physical explanation for these phenomena? Like newtons laws on each string element?
