Waves
● A disturbancethat transfers energy from place to place
● Remember that energy is the ability to do work.
● Example: The energy carried by a wave can lift a large ship
3.
What causes eaves
●Waves are generated when a source of energy forces the matter in a medium
(solid, liquid, or gas) to vibrate.
● Vibration - A repeated back-and-forth or up-and-down motion
4.
Mechanical Waves
● Mechanicalwaves only travel through a medium
● Examples:
○ Ocean waves travel through water (liquid)
○ Sound waves travel through air (gas)
○ A wave can travel along a rope (solid)
5.
Electromagnetic Waves
● Somewaves can travel through empty space such as
○ X-rays
○ Visible light
○ Microwaves
○ Radio
○ UV - ultra violet
6.
Two Types ofMechanical Waves
Waves are classified according to how they travel through a medium
Transverse Waves (A)
Longitudinal Waves (B)
7.
Transverse Waves
● Wavesthat move through the medium at right angles to the direction the
waves are traveling.
● Transverse means “across”
● As a transverse wave moves in one direction, the particles of the medium
move perpendicular to the direction of the wave, or across it.
8.
Transverse Wave Vocabulary
Crest- when the displacement of the medium is at a maximum
Trough - when the displacement of the medium is at a minimum
Rest position - where the medium shows no disturbance
Amplitude - The vertical distance between a peak or a valley and the resting
position in a transverse wave.
Wavelength - the distance between two corresponding parts of a wave
Crest to crest or trough to trough
9.
Longitudinal Waves
The mediummoves parallel to the direction the waves are traveling.
The medium moves back-and-forth in the same direction the wave travels.
10.
Longitudinal Wave Vocabulary
Compression- Particles are close together
Rarefaction - Particles are spread out
Amplitude - A measure of how compressed or rarefied the medium becomes in a
longitudinal wave
Wavelength - The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave
Distance from one compression to the next
11.
Frequency
The number ofcomplete waves (wavelengths) that pass at a given point in a certain
amount of time
Number of vibrations per second
Measured in units called hertz (HZ0
1 vibration per second = 1 HZ
12.
Speed
How far thewave travels in a unit of time, or distance divided by time
The speed, wavelength, and frequency of a wave are related to each other by
mathematical formulas.
Unit for speed is meters per second, or m/s
