ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the concept of dispersion of waves in elastic solids will be discussed to show the physics of the wave propagation phenomenon. The propagation mechanism of elastic waves in solids will be denoted in this chapter, and the main reason for selecting the continuum-mechanics-based approaches for the wave dispersion analysis of structures will be clarified. In addition, waves will be categorized into two major types to show their specific behaviors in different cases. In conclusion, the different real-world applications of the wave propagation dynamic phenomenon and the solution of a wave propagation problem for a beam or plate based on various types of kinematic beam and plate theories, including both classical and higher-order ones, will be discussed.
