Consider a traveling wave described by the formula
y_1(x, t) = asin(kx-wt)
this function might represent the lateral displacement of a string, a local electric field, the position of the surface of a body of water, or any of a number of other physical manifestations of waves.
the principle of superposition states that if two functions each separately satisfy the wave equation, then the sum (or difference) also satisfies the wave equation. this principle follows from the fact that every term in the wave equation is linear in the amplitude of the wave.
consider the sum of two waves y_1(x, t)+y_2(x, t), where y_1(x, t) is the wave described in part a and y_2(x, t) is the wave described in part b. these waves have been chosen so that their sum can be written as follows:
y_s = y_e(x)*y_t(t)
this form is significant because y_e(x), called the envelope, depends only on position, and y_t(t) depends only on time. traditionally, the time function is taken to be a trigonometric function with unit amplitude; that is, the overall amplitude of the wave is written as part of y_e(x).
find y_e(x) and y_t(t). keep in mind that y_t(t) should be a trigonometric function of unit amplitude.
express your answers in terms of a, k ,w , x, and t.