Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2021 7 iv a Solution 2026-10-25
Put the fixed end at , with the mechanical string occupying . Let be the incident peak amplitude, set and , and take when the incident front first reaches the end. The symmetric triangular pulse in the source has initial profile , whereThe fixed-end reflection of a triangular pulse follows from the Dirichlet boundary condition and the superposition principle, giving the reflected displacementThe minus sign is the inversion on reflection. At , the resulting profile is zero outside and consists of the straight segments throughThe segment beside the wall is steeper because incident and inverted reflected pulses overlap there.
Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2021 7 iv c Solution 2026-10-25
At , the reflected pulse dominates the overlap. The total displacement is zero outside and consists of straight segments throughThis is the inverted version of the quarter-reflected profile. The entire negative pulse has not yet separated from the incident pulse.
Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2021 7 iv d Solution 2026-10-25
At , the incident pulse has left the physical half-line, so only the inverted reflected pulse remains. Its straight segments pass throughIt subsequently travels toward decreasing at the original wave speed , with unchanged width and peak amplitude magnitude .
