Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2019/paper-2/section-b/b9/c/solution
Past exam of the physics A course of the University of Cambridge 2019 Paper 2 Section B B9 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
The fixed edge at is automatically satisfied by . At , the displacement must vanish at every , so . Thus the allowed transverse normal modes haveThe case gives zero displacement for this sine solution and is not a physical propagating mode. Negative only reverses the amplitude sign and does not create a distinct transverse mode. This discrete transverse spectrum is a consequence of the Dirichlet boundary conditions, rather than quantization of the longitudinal wavenumber in an indefinitely long guide.
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