Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-ii-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2022/12/c/solution

The product-to-sum identity gives , and , with all other modal coefficients zero. If is the string's linear mass density, the initial potential energy vanishes and orthogonality gives the modal energy of a string
Consequently for . The fundamental mode carries the most energy, with fraction . Comparing displacement coefficients without their frequency factors would give the wrong energy test.

New to topics? Read the docs here!