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Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Waves

  • Waves - repeated motion/vibrations that travel through a medium
  • Waves are good for a transportation of energy between different points
  • Parts of a wave that is measurable: wavelength, amplitude, wave speed, period, and frequency

Types/Categories of Waves

  • Mechanical waves - requires a medium (sound, water)
  • Electromagnetic waves - created by stars and celestial objects, no medium is needed (radio)
  • Radio waves - emitted by radio stations and stars
  • <font size="3">Microwaves - easily absorbed by water (radar, cell phone)</font>
  • <font size="3">Infrared - "below red," associated with heat (night vision, weather forecasting)</font>
  • <font size="3">Visible Light - only part of spectrum you see</font>
  • <font size="3">Ultraviolet waves - "beyond violet" (kills viruses, lowers sunburns)</font>
  • <font size="3">X-rays - imaging bones, radiotherapy</font>
  • <font size="3">Gamma rays - generated from nuclear reactions (stars, bombs)</font>
  • <font size="3">Light waves - don't require a medium, travels fastest in a vacuum </font>
  • <font size="3">Speed of light - 3.00x10^8 m/s</font>
  • Medium - material the wave travels through
  • Some require a medium to travel while others do not
  • Transverse<font size="3"> and </font><font size="3">longitudial/compression</font><font size="3"> waves</font>

Other Vocabulary

  • <font size="3"><font size="3">Pulse - one wave that travels through a medium</font></font>
  • <font size="3"><font size="3">Continuous - repeatedly move up and down</font></font><font size="3">
    </font>

<font size="3">Parts of a transverse Wave</font>

  • Transverse waves - moves perpendicular
  • Crest - top of the wave
  • Trough - bottom of the wave
  • Amplitude - distance from center to crest trough

Parts of a compression wave

  • Compress zone - particles close together
  • Rarefaction zone - less dense area
  • Compression waves - moves parallel

Calculating Wave Speed

  • Period (T) - time it takes for one length to pass (units = s)
  • Frequency (F) - number of waves that pass each second
  • Hertz (Hz) - 1 Hz = 1 wave per second
  • Wavelength - one complete cycle of a wave
  • <font size="3">Equation for Wave Speed - Speed = frequency x wavelength</font>

Wave Interference

  • Occurs when two waves run into each other
  • Temporary create one wave with different amplitudes
  • Amplitude- measure waves height and energy

Constructive Interference

  • Two waves combine to form a larger wave
  • Waves are in phase - amplitudes add together

Destructive Inteference

  • Two waves combine to form a smaller wave
  • If the crest of one wave coincides with trough of second wave = out of phase (cancels out)

Rogue Waves

  • Created by superposition of waves
  • Superposition - combining of waves 

Standing Waves

  • Caused by two waves inferring with one another continuously
  • Looks like it is still




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Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Waves

  • Waves - repeated motion/vibrations that travel through a medium
  • Waves are good for a transportation of energy between different points
  • Parts of a wave that is measurable: wavelength, amplitude, wave speed, period, and frequency

Types/Categories of Waves

  • Mechanical waves - requires a medium (sound, water)
  • Electromagnetic waves - created by stars and celestial objects, no medium is needed (radio)
  • Radio waves - emitted by radio stations and stars
  • <font size="3">Microwaves - easily absorbed by water (radar, cell phone)</font>
  • <font size="3">Infrared - "below red," associated with heat (night vision, weather forecasting)</font>
  • <font size="3">Visible Light - only part of spectrum you see</font>
  • <font size="3">Ultraviolet waves - "beyond violet" (kills viruses, lowers sunburns)</font>
  • <font size="3">X-rays - imaging bones, radiotherapy</font>
  • <font size="3">Gamma rays - generated from nuclear reactions (stars, bombs)</font>
  • <font size="3">Light waves - don't require a medium, travels fastest in a vacuum </font>
  • <font size="3">Speed of light - 3.00x10^8 m/s</font>
  • Medium - material the wave travels through
  • Some require a medium to travel while others do not
  • Transverse<font size="3"> and </font><font size="3">longitudial/compression</font><font size="3"> waves</font>

Other Vocabulary

  • <font size="3"><font size="3">Pulse - one wave that travels through a medium</font></font>
  • <font size="3"><font size="3">Continuous - repeatedly move up and down</font></font><font size="3">
    </font>

<font size="3">Parts of a transverse Wave</font>

  • Transverse waves - moves perpendicular
  • Crest - top of the wave
  • Trough - bottom of the wave
  • Amplitude - distance from center to crest trough

Parts of a compression wave

  • Compress zone - particles close together
  • Rarefaction zone - less dense area
  • Compression waves - moves parallel

Calculating Wave Speed

  • Period (T) - time it takes for one length to pass (units = s)
  • Frequency (F) - number of waves that pass each second
  • Hertz (Hz) - 1 Hz = 1 wave per second
  • Wavelength - one complete cycle of a wave
  • <font size="3">Equation for Wave Speed - Speed = frequency x wavelength</font>

Wave Interference

  • Occurs when two waves run into each other
  • Temporary create one wave with different amplitudes
  • Amplitude- measure waves height and energy

Constructive Interference

  • Two waves combine to form a larger wave
  • Waves are in phase - amplitudes add together

Destructive Inteference

  • Two waves combine to form a smaller wave
  • If the crest of one wave coincides with trough of second wave = out of phase (cancels out)

Rogue Waves

  • Created by superposition of waves
  • Superposition - combining of waves 

Standing Waves

  • Caused by two waves inferring with one another continuously
  • Looks like it is still