General question about wave equation

[NAkid]

Homework Statement

How do you find the phase angle of a wave equation given in the form

y(x,t) = Acos(kx - wt)

thanks

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[Snazzy]

The general equation for a wave is

[tex]y(x,t) = Acos(kx - \omega t +\phi)[/tex]

I'm assuming [tex]\phi[/tex] is what you want.

 

[Moetasim]

The phase angle of a wave equation can be found by looking at the argument of the cosine function in the equation. In this case, the argument is (kx - wt). The phase angle is the value that the argument must take in order for the cosine function to equal 1. This can be found by setting the argument equal to 0 and solving for the value of x. In this case, the phase angle is 0. This means that at x = 0, the wave has its maximum amplitude. However, this value can change depending on the initial conditions of the wave. It is important to note that the phase angle is not a physical quantity, but rather a mathematical tool used to describe the position of a wave at a given time.