A brief summary of Wave Propagation and Huygens’ Principle

1. Wave Propagation and
Huygens’ Principle
Waves in the Third Dimension

2. Circular Waves
So first, let’s start with the circular
wave. When an object is dropped in
the water, the wave moves solely on
the surface.

4. With a special focus on spherical waves
Yay!

5. Like the circular wave, spherical waves start at a single point.
BUT, a single point of sound.
Hence, the mic.

6. • Sound waves can propagate in uniformly in three
dimensions
• Each crest creates a spherical wave front
• This spherical wave front radiates outward from the point
source
• Is a function of x, y, z, and t because it moves in three
dimensions
• Amplitude decreases as it moves outwards
Spherical Waves

7. Huygens’ Principle
• Christiaan Huygens saw that:
• 1. Propagation of wave could be
described as every point on wave
front to be a source of spherical
waves, and
• 2. Resulting wave is found from
the sum of all the point sources

8. Procedure for Huygens’ Principle
To apply Huygens’ Principle:
1. Choose a set of equally spaced
points on a wave front.
2. Draw a set of circles of same
radius, centered at different
points.
3. Complete the resulting wave by
drawing tangents. From Physics for Scientists and Engineers: An Interactive Approach. p. 429

12. Works Cited
• Slide 1 concert photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Paramore_Concert.jpg
• Slide 2 ripple photos:
– Physics for Scientists and Engineers: An Interactive Approach. p. 428
– http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/metallic-circular-waves-16755394.jpg
– http://www.rpi.edu/dept/phys/ScIT/InformationTransfer/waves/images/wavefrontf.gif
– http://ks.kumu.net/Units/Waves/images/SphereFronts/Ripples.png
• Slide 4 curtain photo: http://plywoodpeople.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/documentaries.jpg
• Slide 5 mic photo: http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/049/f/0/lws9890_by_lucianow-d5vedi3.jpg
• Slide 6 concert photo: http://calenarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bg.jpg
– Spherical wave: Physics for Scientists and Engineers: An Interactive Approach. p. 428
• Slide 7 Huygens photo:
http://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/images/esa_multimedia/images/2002/01/christiaan_huygens_1629-
1695/9155400-5-eng-GB/Christiaan_Huygens_1629-1695_medium.jpg
– Chalkboard: http://www.teca-sf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/chalkboard.1440x900.jpg
• Slide 9 concert photo: http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34500000/Concert-Images-imagine-dragons-
34544053-3264-1836.jpg