GENERAL WAVE PROPERTIES

Wave
Wave is defined as the propagation of periodic disturbances from one region to another, without
the transfer of any material medium.

• Source of a wave: vibration or oscillation

• There is a transfer of energy from one point to another without the transfer of any
material between the two points.
• Can be classified into two types: transverse waves and longitudinal waves

Transverse waves
Transverse wave is a wave in which direction of vibration is perpendicular to the direction of
movement of wave.

Examples are: water waves, waves on a string and electromagnetic waves (Radio waves, light
waves).
Characteristics of Transverse waves:

1. The particles oscillate perpendicularly (up and down) to the direction of travel.
2. Peak: Highest point reached by the particle from its neutral position
3. Trough: Lowest point reached by the particle from its neutral position
4. The distance between adjacent particles remains constant, in the direction of the
propagation of the wave.

Longitudinal waves
Longitudinal wave is a wave in which the direction of vibration is parallel to the direction of
travel of the wave
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Examples are: sound waves and waves on a slinky spring. (which consists of regions of
rarefaction and compression).
Characteristics of Longitudinal waves:

1. The particles oscillate along (to-and-fro) the direction of travel.

2. Compression: Section in which the particles are closest together
3. Rarefaction: Section in which the particles are furthest apart
4. The distance between adjacent particles varies from a maximum value (furthest apart)
to a minimum value (closest together), in the direction of the propagation of the wave.

Sound represented on a pressure-distance graph

The air pressure is the highest at the compressions and lowest at the rarefactions of a sound
wave.
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Wavefront

A wavefront is an imaginary line or surface that joined all adjacent points which have the same
phase of vibration on the wave.

Any two points on a wave are said to be in phase when they have completed identical fractions
of their periodic motion.

Properties Of Waves

Amplitude
Amplitude is the maximum displacement from the rest or central position, in either directions.

• SI unit is meter
• Scalar quantity

Frequency
Frequency (f) is defined as the number of complete waves produced per unit time.

• SI unit is hertz (Hz) – 1 Hz = 1 complete cycle per second

• Scalar quantity
• Determined by the source (for water waves)

Wavelength
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Wavelength (λ) is the distance between corresponding points of two consecutive waves.
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• SI unit is meter
• Scalar quantity

Speed
Speed of the wave propagation is defined as the distance travelled by a wave per unit time.

• SI unit is meter per second (m s-1)

• Scalar quantity

Period
Period (T) is defined as the time taken to produce one complete wave.

• SI unit is second (s)

• Scalar quantity
• T=1/f

Velocity
Velocity is the distance travelled by a wave in one second.

• SI unit is meters per second (m s-1)

• Vector quantity
• v=fλ

Wavefront

A wavefront is an imaginary line or surface that joined all adjacent points which have the same
phase of vibration on the wave.

Any two points on a wave are said to be in phase when they have completed identical fractions
of their periodic motion.
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Ripple Tank
The ripple tank is used to generate water waves in laboratory. It is useful in demonstrating
wave properties such as reflection and refraction. It consists of a shallow tray of water with a
transparent base, a light source directly above the tray and a white screen beneath the tray to
capture the image of the shadows
formed when water waves spread
across the tank as shown above.
Straight waves can be set up by
using a straight dipper, while
circular waves can be formed by
using a spherical dipper. Both
dippers are vibrated up and down
by a motor.
The waves will be seen in bright
and dark patches on the screen
below the tray. These patches show
the position of the crests and
troughs of the waves. The dark
patches will correspond to the crests
and bright patches will be the
troughs.

Behavior of Waves
Reflection of Waves:
‘All waves can be reflected when they hit with a barrier in their path’
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Reflection of waves obeys the Law of Reflection:

• 1) The angle of incidence i = The angle of reflection r; and

• 2) The incident waves, the reflected waves and the normal lie in the same plane.

• When waves are reflected, their direction of travel changes.

• When reflection occurs: The waves speed v, frequency f and wavelength λ remains the
same (v = λf).
• The amplitude and energy of the reflected waves will be lower because when reflection
occurs, not all the wave energy is returned

Examples:
SONAR
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Refraction
refraction is the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another or from
a gradual change in the medium.

Waves change speed when they pass across the boundary between two different substances,
such as light waves refracting when they pass from air to glass. This causes them to change
direction and this effect is called refraction.

Water waves refract when they travel from deep water to shallow water (or vice versa).

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• Wavelength decreases.
• Speed decreases
• Frequency remains the same

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Diffraction
Diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles and openings. The amount of diffraction
increases with increasing wavelength.

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