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PSC.3.

2
THE NATURE OF WAVES
Waves
rhythmic disturbances that carry energy
through matter or space
Medium
material through which a wave transfers
energy
solid, liquid, gas, or combination
electromagnetic waves dont need a
medium (e.g. visible light)
ANATOMY OF A
WAVE

Crest
Trough
WAVE ANATOMY
wavelength

corresponds to
crests the amount of
energy carried by
the wave

amplitude

amplitude
nodes

wavelength
troughs
ANATOMY OF A WAVE
wave frequency-Frequency describes the
number of waves that pass a fixed place in a
given amount of time.
wave period-the time needed for one complete
cycle of vibration to pass a given point
wave velocity-wave speed
Amplitude-the distance from to the top of a crest or
to the bottom of a trough
Wavelength- distance from crest to crest (or t-t)
TYPES OF WAVES
Longitudinal Transverse
TRANSVERSE WAVES

medium moves
perpendicular to
the direction of
wave motion
LONGITUDINAL WAVES

Longitudinal Waves (a.k.a. compressional)


medium moves in the same direction as wave motion
LONGITUDINAL WAVES
Wave Anatomy

compression wavelength

rarefaction wavelength

Amount of compression corresponds to amount of energy AMPLITUDE.


MEASURING WAVES
Frequency ( f )
# of waves passing a
point in 1 second
Hertz (Hz)

shorter wavelength
higher frequency
higher energy
1 second
MEASURING WAVES
Velocity ( v )
speed of a wave as it moves forward
depends on wave type and medium

v: velocity (m/s)

v=f : wavelength
(m)
f: frequency (Hz)
MEASURING WAVES
EX: Find the velocity of a wave in a wave pool if its
wavelength is 3.2 m and its frequency is 0.60 Hz.

GIVEN: WORK:
v=? v=f
= 3.2 m
f = 0.60 Hz v
f
MEASURING WAVES
EX: Find the velocity of a wave in a wave pool if its
wavelength is 3.2 m and its frequency is 0.60 Hz.

GIVEN: WORK:
v=? v=f
= 3.2 m v = (3.2 m)(0.60 Hz)
f = 0.60 Hz v v = 1.92 m/s
f
MEASURING WAVES
EX: An earthquake produces a wave that has a wavelength
of 417 m and travels at 5000 m/s. What is its frequency?

GIVEN: WORK:
= 417 m f=v
v = 5000 m/s
f=? v
f
MEASURING WAVES
EX: An earthquake produces a wave that has a wavelength
of 417 m and travels at 5000 m/s. What is its frequency?

GIVEN: WORK:
= 417 m f=v
v = 5000 m/s f = (5000 m/s) (417 m)
f=? v f = 12 Hz
f
Mechanical - travels through a material or medium
(could be a solid, liquid, or gas)
i.e. waves on a rope or spring, water waves and
sound waves
Electromagnetic - travels through a vacuum (empty
space)
i.e. radio, TV, radar, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet,
X-rays, Gamma rays
What kind of waves transmit energy
from the sun to Earth?
A. mechanical B.electromagnetic

C. longitudinal D. sound
Which sequence of letters
indicates
the rest position? _____
Which letters indicate the trough
of a
wave? ______
Which letters indicate the crest of
a wave? _____
Key words: wave interactions of
reflection, refraction, diffraction,
and interference, superposition,
SONAR, RADAR
ALBERT
EINSTEIN ON It seems as though we must use sometimes the one
theory and sometimes the other, while at times we may
WAVE- use either. We are faced with a new kind of difficulty.
We have two contradictory pictures of reality;
PARTICLE separately neither of them fully explains the
phenomena of light, but together they do.
DUALITY

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