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 pulses 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 pulses are inverted.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a wave pulse meets a change in medium, a part of it gets reflected and a part of it gets transmitted. The orientation of the reflected pulse depends upon whether the wave travels from a lighter medium to a denser medium or vice versa. In this case, the rope becomes thicker and heavier, indicating a denser medium. Hence, the reflected pulse will be inverted. The transmitted pulse will be right side up because the wave is traveling from a denser medium to a lighter medium. Therefore, option C is the correct choice.

A Wave Pulse Traveling to the Right Along a Thin