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Objective: Today you will investigate the difference between mechanical and electromagnetic waves.
Waves
Mechanical Waves
Need a medium like As they cause a particles in the air, disturbance in the water, cloth, metal, medium, they and land to be able gradually loose to travel. energy to the medium.
Electromagnetic Waves
Dont need a medium, they can travel without the need of molecules, like in outer space where theres little to no molecules. Transfer energy through radiation. When they do travel through a medium, they lose energy by being absorbed.
2/3/2014
Objective: You will be able to differentiate between longitudinal and transverse waves.
Longitudinal Waves:
In a longitudinal waves the disturbance is parallel to the direction of propagation and causes compression and expansion in the medium carrying the wave.
Longitudinal Waves
Transverse Waves:
In a transverse wave the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of propagation. They occur only in solids. Electromagnetic waves also behave in this manner.
Transverse Waves
Wave Motion
- How soon will the tsunami arrive to shore? - Sound strength - Echolocation - Sonar - Radar - Distance to stars
Velocity of Waves(v)
Wavelength
Wavelength
What is wavelength?
is the distance between any two successive crests or troughs on a transverse wave or two compression or expansion points in longitudinal wave (meters).
A period is the time that it takes for one wavelength to pass through a point/barrier.
Wavelength
/Period
What is frequency?
is the number of wavelengths that pass any point per second.
Example Calculations
1.A sound wave traveling through a solid material has a frequency of 500 hertz. The wavelength of the sound wave is 2 meters. What is the speed of sound in the material.
Example Calculations
2. A tuning fork is used to produce sound waves with a frequency of 440 hertz. The waves travel through a solid at 344 m/s. What is the wavelength of the sound waves?