WAVES

WAVES

1. REFRACTION

   • THE PROCESS BY WHICH A WAVE CHANGES SPEED AND SOMETIMES DIRECTION ENTERING A MEDIUM OF A DIFFERENT DENSITY.
   • AS THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE INCREASES THE ANGLE OF REFRACTION DECREASES
   • SEEN WHEN LIGHT TRAVELS FROM AIR TO GLASS.
     • ENTERS- LIGHT SLOWS AND BENDS TOWARDS NORMAL.
     • EXIT- SPEEDS UP AND BENDS AWAY FROM NORMAL
   • SHORTER WAVE LENGTHS ARE REFRACTED MORE THAN LONGER ONES
   • WAVE FREQUENCY STAYS THE SAME AS IT CROSSES A BOUNDARY
     • WAVESPEED (M/S) = FREQUENCY (HZ) X WAVELENGTH (M)

2. REFLECTION

   • THE CHANGE OF DIRECTION IN A WAVE WHEN IT HITS ANOTHER MATERIAL
   • SEEN WITH SOUNDS (ECHO) AND LIGHT.

3. TRANSMISSION

   • WHEN A WAVE HITS ANOTHER MATERIAL BUT CONTINUES TO TRAVEL THROUGH IT
   • USED IN CLASSES, CAMERAS AND COMMUNICATION (RADIO WAVES)

4. ABSORPTION

   • A WAVE TRANSFERS ENERGY TO A MATERIALS ENERGY STORES
   • EG. MICROWAVE

5. EARS AND HEARING

   • SOUND IS A LONGITUDINAL WAVE. SOUND WAVES THROUGH AD OBJECT. TAVEL BY VIBRATING PARTICLES. NOT ALL FREQUENCIES OF SOUND CAN TRAVEL
     • WAVES TRAVEL THROUGH SURROUNDING MEDIUMS BY COMPRESSION AND RAREFACTION, THOUGH NOT ALL FREQUENCIES CAN TRAVEL
   • SOUND WAVES REACH EARDRUM AND CAUSE IT TO VIBRATE
     • VIBRATIONS PASS TO TINY BONES IN YOUR EAR CALLED OSSICLES, THROUGH THE SEMI-CIRCULAR CANALS, AND TO THE COCHLEA
       • THE COCHLEA TURNS THESE VIBRATIONS INTO ELECTRICAL SIGNALS, WHICH ARE SENT TO THE BRAIN VIA THE AUDITORY NERVE.
         • THE BRAIN THEN INTERPRETS THESE SIGNALS AS SOUNDS OF DIFFERENT PICHES AND VOLUMES.