AE 5332 Professor Dora E.

Musielak

Lecture 9
Review Textbook Sections 19.2 and 19.3
Vibrating String Problem:
(1)
(2)
(3)
Superposition solution Eq. (8) in textbook Section 19.2
(8)
Solution, Eq. (16) in textbook
(16)

for the case when the B.C.s are as (2), and where the coefficients

and

are
(18a)

(18b)

Eq. (17a):

Eq. (17b):

Problem 1. Solve the wave equation with the boundary and initial conditions:
,

Solution: Since the second B.C. (at

is not as defined in (2), we cannot use
Eq. (16) in the textbook to solve this problem.
Thus, we can either (1) solve as we did in class (Lecture 7, pages 4-6), deriving the
general solution; or (2) solve starting from the generic superposition general
solution Eq. (8) in the textbook. Your choice!
Solutions should be the same, of course.
My method (1): Let's first carry out the analysis as I do, and begin with the general
solutions of the ODEs for x and t,

Applying the B.C.s

mean that

and

, that is

So,

The last expression gives the eigenvalues

The corresponding eigenfunctions are

Thus, solutions of this vibrating string satisfying the B.C.s of this problem are
Professor
Solution

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where

since

for all n, and the solution of this vibrating string reduces to

We shall compare this result with solution using textbook method. They must be identical!

(2) The textbook approach: it begins with Eq. (8) in Section 19.2:

Apply the first B.C.

so

and

or

where
Apply the second B.C.

so

and the solution equation becomes

Textbook
Solution

Apply the first I.C.

where

and the second I.C,

Thus,

for all n, and the solution reduces to

Is this the same solution obtained with Professor's method?

Problem 2. For a plucked string at its midpoint and then released from rest,
is given by

Using Equations (16) and (18a) in textbook, leads to Eq. (19)

, and

The solution becomes, Eq. (20),

The RHS is a superposition of distinct modes of vibration (spatial and temporal).

Of course, if

then the solution is, Eq. (24),

Example 3. Solve for

of a vibrating string in which

, and

Solution: In the textbook,

and since

, the coefficient

where the coefficient

and the above eq. reduces to

is determined from (18b),

either by hand or using a computer program you determine

Since

for
we may think that
for all n. But of course this is
incorrect, since the initial velocity of the string is as defined by
.

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If you use l'Hpital rule for

, you should get

And thus the solution is

Alternative Method: You could easily solve this type of problem by comparing the
RHS and LHS of the equation (17 a and 17b) where you establish the I.C.. In this
case is the latter, because you know

Thus,

The textbook calls this comparison "matching terms". That is, look at the terms on
both sides of the equality and attempt to match them to determine the coefficient :
Observe that for the equality to be true,

and all other

Therefore,

which is consistent with the result obtained by integration in (18b).

Example 4. Solve for

of a vibrating string in which

Solution: You can use the "matching terms" method to show that

, and

all other

, and the solution is

Example 5. Solve for

a vibrating string in which

Solve on your own for practice!

, and

2-D Wave Equation - Vibrating Membrane

Textbook solutions

Example 5. Solve for

for a vibrating membrane in which c = 1, and

Solution: You can use the "matching terms" method. Start from (16a), and apply the
first I.C. at

that is

for this equality to be true,

all other
and the solution reduces to

or more compactly

Example 7. Solve for

for a vibrating membrane in which c = 1, and

Solution: You can use the "matching terms" method to show that

all other

, and the solution is

and the solution reduces to

or more compactly

Question: What if the problem prescribes

and also
? How would you
solve it? Before answering, review the analysis in the textbook (Section 19.3) that
led to equations (16a), (16b), and (22)

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Summary of Solution Analysis for a Vibrating Membrane from Lecture 8

We found a solution
and ,

of the wave equation for a rectangular membrane of sides

(1)
that satisfies the B.C.
(2)
(zero deflection at the boundary edge of the membrane), and the I.C.s
(3)

(4)

And the solution we obtained, using separation of variables is

(15)

where, from (12), the temporal frequency of the vibrating membrane is

From (15) and I.C. (3)

(16)

This expression represents a double Fourier series for the expansion of a function
(19)
(20)

for

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Compare equations (15), (19), and (20) with those in the textbook (chapter 19, section 19.3):

Can you explain the differences?

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Traveling Wave
We can also write the solution of the vibrating string in closed form in terms of the function
,

using the extended function

The solution becomes, Eq. (30):

where

has period 2L, and we call this a traveling wave.

Example 6: Let
specified values of

, and use Eq. (20) to compute the displacement

and . Then use Eq. (30) to show that both results agree.

Solution: With Eq. (20), the displacement is

Evaluate the displacement

at

Using Eq. (30), the displacement

at

is

since
has period
, we can add and subtract 20 (or integer multiples of the
argument of
without changing its value

at

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Also

and

and so forth

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Damping Vibrating String

Vibration of string is normally damped due to its motion through a medium.
Denote the damping force

where

is a known constant.

For a vibrating string subject to a damping force, the governing equation is

(1)

Can we use the separation of variables method to solve (1)?

Let

And following the analytical procedure we used before we obtain the differential equations

which can be easily solved.

Lateral Spring Attached to Vibrating String

We consider a system consisting of a lateral distributed spring attached to a spring with a
stiffness per unit length , as sketched below.

The governing equation is

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(1)

where

Subject to the B.C.s and I.C.s

Let
equations

and we can show that separation of variables yields two differential

which can be easily solved.

It can be shown that the lateral spring will increase the frequency of vibration.