WAVES

Types of waves
General characteristics of waves
LESSON OBJECTIVE:

 To be able to recognize the phenomenon behind wave.

 To be able to recognize that medium does not travel with waves
 To be able to identify two types of waves.
 To be able to recognize general characteristics of waves.
 WAVES:

 ‘Wave Motion’ 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.
TYPES OF WAVES:

 There are two types of waves:

 Transverse waves
 Longitudinal waves
TRANSVERSE WAVE:
 Transverse wave is a wave in which direction of vibration of particle 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:
 The particles oscillate perpendicularly (up and down) to the direction of
travel.
 Peak: Highest point reached by the particle from its neutral position
 Trough: Lowest point reached by the particle from its neutral position
 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
 Examples are: sound waves and waves on a slinky
spring.(which consists of regions of rarefaction and
compression).

 Characteristics of Longitudinal waves:

 The particles oscillate along (to-and-fro) the direction of travel.
 Compression: Section in which the particles are closest
together
 Rarefaction: Section in which the particles are furthest apart
 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.
GENERAL PROPERTIES OF WAVES:

 Wave front:
 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
WAVELENGTH & AMPLITUDE:
 A wavelength is the shortest distance between any 2 corresponding points in a
wave.  The distance between two consecutive crest or trough.
 Distance between teo consecutive trough or crest)
SI unit: metre.
 Symbol is λ lambda

 Amplitude is the maximum displacement from the rest or centre position (high of
a crest or depth of a trough).
 SI unit: metre
TIME PERIOD & FREQUENCY:
 Time Period (T)
 This is the time taken for 1 point on the wave to complete 1 oscillation.
 It is the time taken to produce 1 wave.
 The SI Unit is seconds (s).
 Frequency
 Frequency (f):It is the number of complete waves per second. 
 the number of occurrences within a given time period. When there is a higher frequency, more waves are
produced in 1 second, thus the period will be shorter.
 SI unit: Hertz (Hz)
 Relation with time period : f = 1 / T
WAVE SPEED:
 The distance of the wave moved in 1 second in the medium. 

 It is dependent of the medium itself. 

 For example, for sound, the wave speed is always the same in a medium.
 Speed changes if the medium is changed from solid to liquid.
 measured in metre per second.
 Symbol is v
 Relation between speed, wavelength and frequency is given as
 V=f
POINT TO PONDER:
 A transverse wave can be demonstrated using a rope. Describe how the
hand must move to make a transverse wave of frequency 5 Hz.

 A tuning fork creates sound waves with a

frequency of 170 Hz. If the speed of
sound in air is 340 m/s, Calculate the
wavelength of sound waves