Verified Solution • 2025–26 Session moderate

Q14.5: NCERT Physics - Part 2 WAVES 14.5 Solution: You have learnt that a travelling wave in one dimension is…

You have learnt that a travelling wave in one dimension is represented by a function y = f(x, t) where x and t must appear in the combination x � v t or x + v t, i.e. y = f(x � v t). Is the converse true? Examine if the following functions for y can possibly represent a travelling wave: (a) (x � vt)_ (b) log [(x + vt)/x_] (c) 1/(x + vt)

Step-by-Step Verified Solution

**Answer:** (a) No (b) No (c) No **Step-by-Step Explanation:** For a function to represent a travelling wave, it must be finite and well-behaved for all values of its argument. (a) (x−vt)2(x - vt)^2 is finite but does not represent a wave because it diverges as x→±∞x \to \pm\infty and is not oscillatory. (b) log⁡[(x+vt)/x0]\log[(x+vt)/x_0] is undefined for x+vt≤0x+vt \leq 0, so it cannot represent a wave. (c) 1/(x+vt)1/(x+vt) diverges at x+vt=0x+vt=0, so it cannot represent a wave .

All Questions in this Chapter

Q14.1 Q14.2 Q14.3 Q14.4 Q14.5 Q14.6 Q14.7 Q14.8 Q14.9 Q14.10 Q14.11 Q14.12 Q14.13 Q14.14 Q14.15 Q14.16 Q14.17 Q14.18 Q14.19

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