Longitudinal and Transverse Waves

• What do waves transfer from one place to another?

  Energy
• Do waves transfer matter?

  No, they do not transfer matter
• How does our brain interpret energy from waves?

  By building images and tunes
• What do waves do as they travel?

  Vibrate or oscillate
• In a displacement-distance graph, what does distance represent?

  How far the wave has traveled
• What is the maximum displacement of a wave called?

  Amplitude
• What is the distance of one entire oscillation called?

  Wavelength
• What is the opposite of the crest in a wave?

  Trough
• What does a displacement-time graph show?

  Time on the x-axis instead of distance
• What is the time period of a wave?

  Time for one complete oscillation
• How do you calculate frequency from the time period?

  Frequency = 1 / time period
• If the time period is $0.5 \text{ seconds}$, what is the frequency?


  2 Hz
• If the frequency is $4 \text{ Hz}$, what is the time period?


  $0.25 \text{ seconds}$
• How do you calculate wave speed?

  Wave speed = wavelength × frequency
• What is the wave speed of a sound wave with a frequency of $400 \text{ Hz}$ and a wavelength of $0.7 \text{ m}$?


  $280 \text{ m/s}$
• What are the oscillations in transverse waves like?

  Perpendicular to energy transfer direction
• How do oscillations in longitudinal waves differ from transverse waves?

  They are parallel to energy transfer direction
• What are the key differences between transverse and longitudinal waves?

  • Transverse waves: oscillations perpendicular to energy transfer
  • Longitudinal waves: oscillations parallel to energy transfer
  • Examples:
  • Transverse: light, water waves
  • Longitudinal: sound, seismic P-waves
• What are the key terms related to wave properties?

  • Amplitude: maximum displacement
  • Wavelength: distance of one complete oscillation
  • Crest: highest point of a wave
  • Trough: lowest point of a wave
  • Time period: time for one complete oscillation
  • Frequency: number of oscillations per second
• What is a transverse wave?

  a wave by which the oscillations (vibrations) are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
• What is a longitudinal wave?

  A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
• give 2 examples of transverse waves

  electromagnetic waves

  light waves
• give 2 examples of longitudinal waves

  sound waves

  seismic p-waves
• What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called?

  compressions and rarefractions
• What is a waves amplitude?

  distance from equilibrium line to the maximum displacement (crest or trough)
• What is the unit used for frequency

  Hertz, Hz
• How do you calculate wave speed?

  wave speed = frequency x wavelength
• What word is used to describe when a wave bounces off a surface?

  reflection
• How do sound waves travel through a solid?

  the particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material
• What is the frequency range of human hearing?

  20 Hz - 20000Hz

  (1kHz = 1000 Hz )
• what are ultrasound waves?

  waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing (20kHz)
• Give an example use for ultrasound waves

  medical or industrial imaging
• what natural event causes seismic waves to be produced? What types are produced?

  earthquakes

  they produce both p-waves and s-waves
• state a difference between the mediums that P-waves and S-waves can't travel through

  p- waves travel through both solids and liquids

  s-waves only travel through solids
• what technique is used to detect objects in deep water and measure water depth?

  echo sounding

  high frequency sound waves are emitted, reflected and detected

  time difference between emission and detection, alongside wave speed, are used to calculate distances