Interactions of Waves

EQ: How do waves interact with

each other?
 Reflection: The bouncing back of a
wave after it strikes a barrier. When
water waves hit the side of the
swimming pool, they bounce back.

Angle of reflection
Angle of
incidence
EQ: How
do waves
interact
with each
other?
Reflected
Incoming wave
Wave
 Law of Reflection

• The angle of reflection

equals the angle of
incidence
EQ: How do waves interact with each
other?
Refraction
The bending of
a wave as it
crosses the
boundary
between two
mediums. This What are the two
is caused by mediums the straw
has entered?
change in
speed as it
enters the
second
medium. EQ: How do
waves interact
with each other?
Diffraction- The spreading out or bending of
waves as they pass through a hole in a
barrier or around the edges of a barrier.

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EQ: How do
waves interact
with each other?
 Constructive Interference
• Two waves combine to make a wave with
a larger amplitude

EQ: How do
waves interact
with each
other?
 Destructive Interference
• When the amplitudes of two waves
combine with each other producing a
smaller amplitude

EQ: How do waves

interact with each other?
Standing Wave - The result of the interference of the two waves below is
a new wave pattern known as a standing wave pattern. Standing waves
are produced whenever two waves of identical frequency interfere with

one another while traveling opposite directions along the same medium.

EQ: How do waves interact

with each other?
 nodes and antinodes
• Nodes – when destructive interference
causes two waves to combine to produce
an amplitude of zero
• Antinodes – combined amplitude of the
two waves combine to produce amplitudes
greater than zero.

EQ: How do waves interact

with each other?
 Resonance
• Occurs when vibrations traveling through
an object match the object’s natural
frequency

EQ: How do waves interact with each other?

 Class Work and Homework
• Fill In
– What did I learn EQ: How do
– Confused
– Say
waves interact
with each
Read pages O 24 – O 29 other?
• Worksheet 1-3
• Test one week from Friday
– Types of waves
– Properties of waves
– Interaction of Waves
– Seismic Waves