A wave pulse traveling to the right along a thin cord reaches a discontinuity where the rope becomes thicker and heavier. What is the orientation of the reflected and transmitted pulses?
A) Both are right side up.
B) The reflected pulse returns right side up while the transmitted pulse is inverted.
C) The reflected pulse returns inverted while the transmitted pulse is right side up.
D) Both are inverted.
E) It is impossible to predict.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a wave pulse reaches a discontinuity where the medium changes, some of the energy is reflected back while some of the energy is transmitted through the new medium. When a pulse is reflected, it undergoes a phase change of 180 degrees or is inverted. The transmitted pulse, on the other hand, does not undergo any phase change. In this case, since the new medium is heavier and thicker, the speed of the wave will change. This means that the transmitted pulse will be at a different angle than the incident pulse. Therefore, the transmitted pulse will be right side up, while the reflected pulse will be inverted.

A Wave Pulse Traveling to the Right Along a Thin