Waves

Waves

1. Longitudinal waves

   • the oscillations of a longitudinal wave are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
   • can be transverse or mechanical
     • vibrations which travel through a median (substance)
   • sound, water, seismic waves and ultrasound
   • they squash up and stretch out the arrangement of particles in the material they pass through
   • they make compressions and rarefactions

2. Wave speed = Frequency x Wavelength

3. Transverse Waves

   • The oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer of a wave
   • electromagnetic waves
     • travel through a vacuum
   • light, radio and microwaves

4. structure of a wave

   • amplitude is the displacement from the rest position to the crest
   • the wavelength is the length of a full cycle of the wave e.g from crest to crest
   • frequency is the number of complete waves passing a certain point per second or the number of waves produced by source each second. measured in Hz
     • the higher the frequency the shorter the wavelength
   • the period is the time it takes (in s) for one complete wave to pass a point e.g a wave with period 0.002s has a frequency of 1/0.002=500 hz

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