Waves

Waves

1. the propagation of a disturbance in space with no transport matter.

   • Mechanical
     • mechanical propagation of the disturbance in an elastic medium.
   • Electromagnetic
     • propagation of electromagnetic disturbance or a variation of the intensity of the electric and magnetic field in space.
   • Transverse
     • the particles of the medium move in a perpendicular direction toward the propagation of the disturbance.
   • Longitudinal
     • the particles of the medium oscillates in the same direction where the disturbance propagates

2. Phenomena

   • Reflection
     • is always present when the wave reaches the surface separating two media with different properties.
   • Refraction
     • is present when the wave travels from a medium to another with different properties.
   • Diffraction
     • presents when a wave finds barrier which causes disturbance
   • Superposition
     • when more that two waves are moving through the same medium, the resultant displacement at any point is the algebraic sum of the displacement of the individual wave.
   • Interference
     • when the waves are in superposition they have the same frequency characteristics and wavelength
       • Constructive
         • waves overlap in such manner that the crests and throughs of both waves match, the resultant wave has larger amplitude
       • Destructive
         • when the crests of one of the waves match with the throughs of the other and then, the resultant waves have small amplitude.

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