Waves Alyssa Conn
• Wave- A transmission of energy through water or space – Wavelength: distance between any two successive identical parts in a wave – Period: the time required for one full wavelength to pass a certain point – Frequency: the number of vibrations that occur in a 1s time interval – Wave Speed: The speed at which a wave passes through a medium
Mechanical Wave • Waves which require a medium or matter to travel through vibrations or different types of matter – medium: matter trough which a wave travels
Electromagnetic Waves • Light waves do not require a medium or do not travel through matter-they are vibrations of electromagnetic particles – Light waves, x-rays, t.v., radio transmission waves are all types of electromagentic waves Radio waves, visible light, X-rays, and all the other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are fundamentally the same thing, electromagnetic radiation.
Transverse Waves • Particles vibrate in a perpendicular motion to the direction the wave travels – Crest: highest point – Trough: lowest point – Amplitude: ½ the vertical distance between a cresttrough
Longitudinal Waves • Particles vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave – Sound Waves – Seismic Waves – These waves can travel through solids, liquids and gases
Surface Waves – Seismic Waves • Move in all directions. These are the most destructive waves – Waves tend to bend or curve when they meet the dimensions of an object
Wave Properties • Most waves model a sine curve or an S on its side – Amplitude: the height of the wave, measured in meters. – Wavelength: the distance between adjacent crests, measured in meters. – Period: the time it takes for one complete wave to pass a given point, measured in seconds. – Frequency: the number of complete waves that pass a point in one second, measured in inverse seconds, or Hertz (Hz). – Speed: the horizontal speed of a point on a wave as it propagates, measured in meters / second.
Standing Wave • A wave form caused by interference that appears not to move along the medium and that shows some requires of no vibrations (nodes) and other regions of maximum vibrations (antinodes)
• http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/29406-assignment
Works Cited •
Russell, Dr. Dan. "Longitudinal and Transverse Wave Motion." PAWS - Personal Accessible Web Space - Kettering University. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/Demos/waves/wavemotion.html>.
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"SURFACE WAVE." Repair and Maintenance Manuals - Integrated Publishing. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://www.tpub.com/content/neets/14182/css/14182_76.htm>. "Electromagnetic Waves." Home (Boston University, Physics Department). 26 July 1999. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/py106/EMWaves.html>.