CHARACTERISTICS OF Physical Science 20

WAVES
WHAT IS A WAVE?
Anything that moves back and forth, side to
side, to and fro, in and out, up or down, is
vibrating.
A vibration is a periodic “wiggle” in time.
A periodic wiggle in both space and time is a
wave.
Waves extend from one place to another.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
WAVES
1. Waves transmit energy – a wave moves and carries energy
2. Waves MAY travel in a medium – typically need a medium like
air, water, or springs BUT this isn’t always the case (as we’ll see!)
3. Waves have to be started – the medium has to be “disturbed”
to start a wave. Whatever starts the wave is called the “wave
source.”
4. Waves may pass through one another - This is called the
principal of superposition. This characterizes waves as different
from particles.
5. Speed of waves - depends on the medium
 TYPES OF WAVES
Light and sound are two examples of “things” that travel as
waves however, they are two very different kinds of waves!

Types of waves:
1. Mechanical Wave – propagation of vibration through a
material medium (solid, liquid, or gas)
example: sound

2. Electromagnetic Wave– vibration of electric and

magnetic fields. Do not require a medium.
example: light
MECHANIC
AL WAVES
There are three types of
mechanical waves that
we will look at:
1. Transverse Waves

2. Longitudinal Waves

3. Surface Waves
TRANSVERSE WAVES
-Oscillations or vibrations are perpendicular
(at a right angle) to the direction the wave
travels.
Crest – top of wave
Trough – bottom of wave
Amplitude (a) – distance from
the rest position to top or
bottom of wave
Wavelength (l) – distance
from crest to crest or trough to
trough
Rest position – the wave is at
equilibrium; the wave is not Middle dotted line = rest position
moving up or down

CHARACTERISTICS OF
TRANSVERSE WAVES
LONGITUDINAL WAVES
Motion is along the direction of the wave or
parallel to it rather than at right angles to it

A longitudinal wave might also be called a

compression wave
 Compression (C) –
the particles (or coils
PROPERTIES OF in a slinky) are
LONGITUDINAL WAVES squeezed or
compressed together
Rarefaction (R) – the
particles (or coils) are
further apart than
normal
Wavelength (l) – the
distance from the
midpoint of one
compression to
another or one
rarefaction to another
SOUND WAVES
- Sound waves are longitudinal waves
(this is why they need a medium otherwise there is nothing to
compress and stretch)
-Waves from an
earthquake travel
through the
ground as both
longitudinal and
transverse waves
 SURFACE WAVES
Water waves at the surface contain a mixture of
longitudinal and transverse waves, producing a
clockwise motion for the individual particles.
Particles move perpendicular and parallel to the
direction of the wave in surface water waves.
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
(AN INTRO TO… WE’LL COME BACK TO EMR LATER IN
THIS UNIT)

-disturbances of electrical and magnetic fields

-do not require a medium
–travel through space at about 3.00 x 108 m/s
-examples: light, x-rays, radio waves
 OTHER WAVE TERMS
-When an object like a pendulum, repeats a
pattern of motion or vibration or oscillation, it is
called periodic motion.
-Regular or repeated waves are called periodic
waves
-A single wave is called a pulse or shock wave
-One complete vibration or oscillation is called a
cycle (one cycle = going there and back)
OTHER WAVE TERMS
*IMPORTANT*
 
-The number of cycles or oscillations in 1 second is called
frequency (f)

-The unit used to measure frequency is the hertz (Hz), named

after Heinrich Hertz. One cycle per second is one hertz.

-The time required to complete one cycle is called period (T)

This can be represented as: f=

EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
1. A mass hanging on a slow spring vibrates 15
times in 10 seconds. Calculate:
A) Frequency

B) Period
EXAMPLE:
 1.A mass hanging on a slow spring vibrates 15
times in 10 seconds. Calculate:
A) Frequency
Frequency is cycles per second. So f = = 1.5
Hz

B) Period
T= =
ANOTHER IMPORTANT TERM
Velocity (speed) of waves – the velocity of any transverse wave can
be determined by using the universal wave equation which is:
Velocity = wavelength/period
Or
V= ƛ/T
So
V= ƛf
EXAMPLE
1. What is the velocity of a wave with a frequency of 2.5 Hz
and a wavelength of 0.60m ?
EXAMPLE
1. What is the velocity of a wave with a frequency of 2.5 Hz
and a wavelength of 0.60m ?
V= ƛf
ƛ = 0.60 m
f = 2.5 Hz

V = (0.60)(2.5) = 1.5 m/s

PENDULUMS & PHASES
The diagram below shows both pendulums moving in
the same direction. The pendulums are in phase. In
phase means two pendulums are at rest or moving
in the same direction at the same time.
PENDULUMS AND PHASES
If one pendulum is moving right while the other is moving
left, they are considered out of phase

The same can be said for particles of water, air, etc. How do
the windshield wipers on your car move? Do they both move
to the left and right at the same time or do they both move
inward and then outward? So are they in phase or out of
phase?
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
Complete practice questions on frequency, period
and velocity