waves

Wave

A disturbance that moves energy from one place to another through matter or space

Medium

Any kind of matter that is disturbed by energy

Crest

The highest point of a transverse wave

Trough

The lowest point of a transverse wave

Wavelength

The distance a wave travels in one wave cycle

2 major types of waves

Mechanical and Electromagnetic

2 types of Mechanical waves

Transverse and compressional waves

Amplitude of a sound wave

In a compressional wave, the amplitude depends on the density of the medium in the compressions and rarefactions.(very high amplitude compressional waves have very dense compressions and very low density rarefactions.

Amplitude of a transverse wave

The distance between the trough and the midpoint

Frequency

The number of waves that pass a point in one second

Frequency of a sound wave

Pitch

Electromagnetic wave

Does NOT need a medium to travel through in order to transfer energy.

Examples of Electromagnetic wave

Light, radio, x-ray, uv ray, micro

Mechanical wave

NEEDS a medium

Transverse wave

Energy in the medium moves back and forth at right angles to the direction the wave travels

Compressional wave

Also known as longitudinal waves. The energy moves back I and forth in the same direction that the wave travels

Wavelength of transverse wave

Distance from one crest to another or one trough to another

If wavelength increases…

Frequency decreases

If wavelength decreases…

Frequency increases

Compression

An area on the wave where the medium becomes more dense

Rarefaction

An area on the wave where the medium is less dense

Wavelength of compressional waves

Distance from one rarefraction to another or one compression to another

The greater the amplitude…

The more energy the wave carries

If you increase the amplitude of a compressional waves…

The volume gets louder

Reflection

The process by which a wave hits an object and bounces off of it

Absorption

When a wave hits a material and it is not reflected back

Transmission

To go through

Transverse wave example

Compressional wave example