Wave Notes
A wave is a
through matter or space.
or
that transfers ___________
The two primary types of waves are


Transverse Waves
In a transverse wave, the energy is moving
.
Crest is the
on a wave. Letter D is a crest.
Trough is the
on the wave. Letter E is a trough.
Amplitude measures
. Letter A on
the diagram above shows amplitude.
Wavelength can be measured from
or trough to trough. Letter B shows
wavelength. It may also be shown as
(as indicated by the red dashed line, B’).
Frequency is a measure of how often a certain part
.
Letter C represents the frequency.
Longitudinal Waves
The
is where the wave is most dense, where it
.
is the least dense portion of the wave.
Amplitude measures the
by the wave.
Wavelength can be measured from
to beginning of
.
In a longitudinal wave, the motion of the energy is
.
to the
Amplitude is measured differently for longitudinal (
) and
waves!
A
If amplitude is
, the energy is increased by a factor of
Property of Waves
Wave Speed (v) – The speed of a
is constant for any given
, and v is independent of
and
.
Medium:
* Transverse waves travel fastest when they are in
, where there is
!
Longitudinal waves are faster in a
medium.
.
Formula for determining the velocity of a wave:
v=
(in m/s)
f=
(in Hertz, abbreviated Hz);
λ=
(in meters)
[Insert in the space below]
Note:
f of wave is determined by
v is dependent on
.
The
of the
;
carried by a wave depends on the
are
at which the particles
.
The greater the
the more
a wave carries in a given time.
The following slides will provide descriptions and illustrations of 5 important wave properties/behaviors you
will need to know.
Wave Interactions
Constructive Interference – interference in which individual displacements on the
position are
side of the
to form the resultant wave.
[COPY the illustration into the space below]
Destructive Interference - interference in which individual displacements on the
the
position are
[COPY the illustration into the space below]
side of
to form the resultant wave.
Reflection - waves
source.
the wave
[COPY the illustration into the space below]
Refraction – waves are refracted when they
because changing the medium
.
Refraction is the change in
due to
.
[COPY the illustration into the space below]
Diffraction – waves are diffracted when they
or through
. Diffraction is bending caused by
.
[COPY the illustration into the space below]
Absorption – the wave’s
is unable to
wave
upholstery in a
through the substance and the
Sound waves encounter this in the
.
[ILLUSTRATION WILL BE PROVIDED IN CLASS ON MONDAY]
and
Natural frequency:
A frequency at which a particular object will
have
or
. Most objects
natural frequencies.
Resonance:
Occurs when something causes an object to
. It results in an increase in
(
Standing Waves – Waves that are
boundaries, which are
displacement
).
. The
, are called
. The maximum
in a standing wave is called an
.
To determine the harmonic, take the number of nodes in the standing wave and subtract 1.
Example: 3 nodes – 1 = 2nd Harmonic
[Please copy the 4 pictures on the last slide below and label the harmonic and wavelength(s) represented by
each. You DO NOT need to copy the “Overtone” labels.]