Waves, Sound, and Light

lock in ----> guaranteed results

Waves

• transfer energy from one place to another.

Mechanical waves

• require a matter to move energy.

• The matter will move for a short period of time whilst transferring energy and then return to its starting position.

Transverse waves

• particles move perpendicular to the motion of the wave

• e.g: water ripples, EM waves

Longitudinal waves

• particles move parallel to the motion of the wave

• e.g: sound waves

Period of a wave (s)

• how long it takes to go through one wavelength

Frequency (Hz)

• how many wavelengths go by in a second

Wavelength (m)

• the distance between one crest of a wave and the next crest or trough to trough or from one point of the wave to same point of the next wave.

Wavelength vs period

• period measures the wave in time

• wavelength measures it in space

Amplitude of a mechanical wave

• the maximum displacement of the particles in the wave.

• the distance from the rest point.

• the greater the amplitude of the mechanical wave, the greater the energy.