Waves Physics

What are waves?

Waves carry energy, without the transfer of matter.

What are mechanical waves?

Mechanical waves travel through a physical medium such as air, water, or a rope

What are wave pulse?

A single bump that travels is through a medium

What are Transverse waves?

Waves that disturbs in medium perpendicular to the direction of the wave

What are periodic waves?

A disturbance/bump at a constant rate

What is a Longitudinal wave?

The disturbance is parallel to the direction of the waves travel

What is a surface wave?

The medium particle can follow parallel or perpendicular depending on the direction of wave travel.

What is amplitude?

Measured from the crest or from the trough to the line of rest

You need more energy when?

More the energy is needed for a greater amplitude

What are examples of wave?

• Water

• Sound

• Light

• Heat

• Radioactivity

• Tide

Properties of Waves

• Frequency

• Wavelength

• Crest/Trough

• Attenuation

• Amplitude

What are three mechanical waves?

• Transverse Waves

• Longitudinal Waves

• Torsional Waves

What is Gravitational waves?

Very large mass produce waves that travel at c = speed of light

Waves Interference

Occurs when two or more waves act simultaneously on the same particles of a medium resulting in a new displacement.

What is the principle of superposition?

That the resultant displacement of a given particle is equal to the sum of displacements that would have been produced by each wave independently

What is a constructive interference?

Occurs when the resultant displacement is greater than the displacement that would be caused by either wave

destructive interference

occurs when the resultant displacement is smaller than the displacement caused by one wave

Standing wave

Can be defined as the resultant of two wave trains of the same wavelength, frequency and amplitude travelling in opposite directions through the same medium

node/ or nodal point

the point that remains at rest when positive and negative pulses of equal amplitude and length travel in opposite directions and interfere

Loop / anitnodes

Occur midway between the nodes, and are areas where double crest and double troughs occur

If frequency increases, the wavelength will

decrease

in standing waves if the frequency is larger

the closer the nodal points are

A wave that vibrates at right angles (perpendicular) to the equilibrium position is said to be a?

transverse wave

Frequency is measured in?

hertz

wavelength is measured in?

meters

periods are measured in

seconds

wave transfer _______ in the form of a _____ through a medium

Energy , Disturbance

A periodic wave has

a constant frequency

When a string is vibrated at its fundamental frequency, ______ loop(s) will be formed.

1 loop will be formed

As a wave moves from a faster medium to a slower medium

the frequency remains constant

Crest is related to trough as compression is related to

rarefraction

the reflected pulse from a fixed end reflection

would be on the opposite side of the rest line as the incident pulse

the transmitted wave created by a wave moving from a heavier string to a lighter string

would increase in speed

the reflected wave created by a wave moving from a lighter spring to a heavier spring

would be similar to a fixed end reflection

destructive interference creates a wave with a smaller

amplitude

the electromagnetic spectrum does not include

sound waves b/c it has a medium and electromagnetic waves don't have a medium

standing waves produce

-nodes -interference -loops

if the frequency of violet light is greater than the frequency of red light, then the?

wavelength of red light is greater than the violet light

What is the period of a pendulum that takes 1 second to make a complete back and forth vibration?

1 second

Distinguish between the following parts of a transverse wave: Amplitude, crest, trough, wavelength

the picture Amplitude - max displacement Crest - point of the greatest positive displacement Trough - point of the greatest negative displacement

Distinguish between the period and the frequency of a vibration or wave. how do they relate to one another

period - time to complete one cycle frequency - how many cycles occur in the given time

Does the medium in which a wave travels move along with the wave itself? Defend your answer

No. The disturbance moves not the medium itself

How does the speed of a wave relate to its wavelength and frequency?

Speed = wavelength x frequency

As the frequency of sound is increased, does the wavelength increase or decrease. Give example

Decrease; my voice creates a high pitch voice when I am louder

distinguish between constructive and destructive interference

Constructive - causes and additive effect destructive - cancelling effect

What causes a standing wave?

Interference of inverted waves with the same frequency, wavelength, speed, and amplitude

A nurse counts 76 heartbeats in 1.0 minute; What are the period and frequency of the heart beats?

T = 0.79s F = 1.3 Hz

What is electromagnetic waves?

electromagnetic spectrum deep space waves, radio waves, IR light visible waves, x-ray micro-waves

what are torsional waves

amplitude is around the axis of propagation