Properties of waves

• Waves are one of the ways in which energy may be transferred between stores.
• Waves can be described as oscillations or vibrations.
• Longitudinal waves are waves that move in the same direction as the direction in which the particles are vibrating, with the vibrations being parallel to the direction of wave travel.
• Transverse waves are waves that move in a direction at right angles to the way in which the particles are vibrating, with the vibrations being at right angles to the direction of wave travel.
• Mechanical waves cause oscillations of particles in a solid, liquid or gas and must have a medium to travel through.
• Electromagnetic waves cause oscillations in electrical and magnetic fields.
• All waves transfer energy but they do not transfer matter.
• Parts of a wave are described using the terms: rest position, displacement, peak, trough, amplitude, wavelength, time period, and frequency.
• A wave is described using the terms: peak, trough, amplitude, wavelength, time period, and frequency.
• Wave period and wave speed are important terms in understanding waves.
• Measuring the speed of sound in air is a practical way to understand waves.