Understanding Mechanical Waves: Types and Characteristics

mechanical waves

Waves that require a medium to travel through.

medium

The substance through which a wave travels, which can be a solid, liquid, or gas.

wave

A disturbance that travels or propagates from the place where it was created, transferring energy without transferring mass.

longitudinal wave

A wave in which the disturbance is parallel to the direction of propagation.

transverse wave

A wave in which the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of propagation.

pulse wave

A sudden disturbance that generates only one wave or a few waves.

periodic wave

A wave that repeats the same oscillation for several cycles.

amplitude

The maximum extent of a wave's disturbance from its rest position.

period

The time it takes for one complete cycle of a wave to pass a given point.

frequency

The number of complete cycles of a wave that pass a given point per unit time.

energy

The capacity of a wave to do work, which is transferred as the wave propagates.

crest

The uppermost position of a wave.

trough

The lowest position of a wave.

simple harmonic motion

The periodic motion in which each particle in the medium moves back and forth through the same positions.

sine wave

A mathematical curve that describes a smooth periodic oscillation, often used to represent waveforms.

oscillation

A repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value.

disturbance

A change in the state of a medium that causes a wave to propagate.

wave pool

A controlled environment where waves are continuously generated.

earthquake waves

Waves generated by disturbances in the Earth's surface, which can include various types of mechanical waves.

sound waves

Mechanical waves that propagate through air or other media due to changes in air pressure.

water waves

Mechanical waves that travel along the surface of a body of water.

radio waves

Electromagnetic waves that can travel through a vacuum and are commonly used for communication.

Transverse wave

A wave where the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of propagation, such as a woman moving a toy spring up and down.

Longitudinal wave

A wave where the disturbance is parallel to the direction of propagation, such as a woman stretching and compressing a slinky horizontally.

Compression wave

Another term for longitudinal waves, where the wave consists of compressions and rarefactions.

Shear wave

Another term for transverse waves, where the wave consists of disturbances perpendicular to the direction of propagation.

Electromagnetic waves

Transverse waves that include visible light and propagate through space.

Sound waves

Longitudinal waves that propagate through air and water, characterized by periodic variations in pressure.

Guitar string wave

A transverse wave where the string is disturbed vertically but travels horizontally.

Earthquake waves

Waves that have both longitudinal (P-waves) and transverse (S-waves) components.

P-waves

Longitudinal waves in an earthquake, also known as pressure waves.

S-waves

Transverse waves in an earthquake, also known as shear waves.

Surface waves

Waves that travel along the surface of a medium, similar to surface waves on water.

Water waves

Waves that are a combination of transverse and longitudinal components.

Wave propagation

The movement of waves through a medium, which can involve momentum transfer.

Density variation in longitudinal waves

In a longitudinal sound wave, the density of molecules briefly decreases after a compression wave moves through a region.

Periodic waves

Waves that repeat at regular intervals, contrasting with pulse waves.

Pulse waves

Waves that consist of a single disturbance moving through a medium.

Wave

A wave is a disturbance that propagates from the place where it was created.

Pulse Wave

A pulse wave is a sudden disturbance with only one wave generated.

True or False: A pebble dropped in water is an example of a pulse wave.

False

Oscillation Direction in Transverse Wave

Perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the transverse wave.

Shoaling Effect

As waves reach shore, the energy of the wave is compressed into a smaller volume, creating higher waves.

Mechanical Waves

Yes, both mechanical and electromagnetic waves require a medium to propagate.

Transverse Waves

Yes, all transverse waves require a medium to travel.

Wave Propagation

A wave is a force that propagates from the place where it was created.

Wave Energy Transfer

As waves start to form, a larger surface area becomes in contact with the wind, transferring more energy.