Waves

• What do mechanical waves require to travel?

  A substance (medium)
• How do particles behave when waves travel through a substance?

  They oscillate and pass energy to neighbouring particles
• What is the orientation of oscillations in a transverse wave?

  Perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
• How do oscillations in a longitudinal wave behave?

  They are parallel to the direction of the energy transfer
• What do longitudinal waves produce in a substance?

  Areas of compression and rarefaction
• What type of wave are sound waves in air?

  Longitudinal waves
• What happens to waves when they travel from one medium to another?

  Speed and wavelength may change but the frequency always stays the same
• What is amplitude in wave terms?


  Maximum displacement from undisturbed position
• How is frequency defined?


  Number of waves passing a point per second
• What is the period of a wave?

  Time for one complete wave to pass
• How is wavelength measured?

  Distance from one point on a wave to the next identical point
• What does wavespeed refer to?

  Distance travelled by each wave per second
• What type of waves are electromagnetic waves?

  Transverse waves