Waves

A wave can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium from one
location to another location.
There are three types of waves:
1. Mechanical waves require a material medium to travel (air, water, ropes).
These waves are divided into three different types.
o Transverse waves cause the medium to move perpendicular to the direction of
the wave.
o Longitudinal waves cause the medium to move parallel to the direction of the
wave.
o Surface waves are both transverse waves and longitudinal waves mixed in
one medium.
2. Electromagnetic waves do not require a medium to travel (light, radio).
3. Matter waves are produced by electrons and particles.

The frequency of a wave refers to how

often the particles of the medium
vibrate when a wave passes through
the medium. Suppose that a hand
holding the first coil of a slinky is moved
back and-forth two complete cycles in
one second. The rate of the hand's
motion would be 2 cycles/second. The
first coil, being attached to the hand, in
turn would vibrate at a rate of 2
cycles/second. The second coil, being
attached to the first coil, would vibrate
at a rate of 2 cycles/second. In
fact, every coil of the slinky
would vibrate at this rate of 2
cycles/second. This rate of 2
cycles/second is referred to as
the frequency of the wave.

The electromagnetic
spectrum is a range of all
electromagnetic waves arranged according to frequency and wavelength.
Radio waves are used to
transmit radio and television
signals. Radio waves have
wavelengths that range from
less than a centimeter to
tens or even hundreds of
meters.
Microwave wavelengths
range from approximately
one millimeter to thirty
centimeters. In a microwave
oven, the radio waves
generated are tuned to frequencies that can be absorbed by the food.
Infrared is the region of the electromagnetic spectrum that extends from the
visible region to about one millimeter (in wavelength). Infrared waves include
thermal radiation.
The rainbow of colors we know as visible light is the portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths between 400 and 700 billionths of a
meter.
Ultraviolet radiation has a range of wavelengths from 400 billionths of a meter to
about 10 billionths of a meter. Sunlight contains ultraviolet waves which can burn
your skin.
X-rays are high energy waves which have great penetrating power and are used
extensively in medical applications and in inspecting welds.
Gamma rays have wavelengths of less than about ten trillionths of a meter. They
are more penetrating than X-rays. Gamma rays are generated by radioactive
atoms and in nuclear explosions.

Materials like air, water, and clear glass are called transparent. When light
encounters transparent materials, almost all of it passes directly through them.
Materials like frosted glass and some plastics are called translucent. When light
strikes translucent materials, only some of the light passes through them. The light
does not pass directly through the materials. It changes direction many times and
is scattered as it passes through.
Most materials are opaque. When light strikes an opaque object none of it passes
through. Most of the light is either reflected by the object or absorbed and
converted to heat.

Refraction is the bending of the path of a light wave as it passes across the
boundary separating two media. Refraction is caused by the change in speed
experienced by a wave when it changes medium.
Regardless of the angle at which the wave fronts approach the barrier, one general
law of reflection holds true: the waves will always reflect in such a way that the
angle at which they approach the barrier equals the angle at which they reflect off
the barrier. This is known as the law of reflection.