Introductory: Waves

• transverse waves: vibrations are at 90 degrees to wave direction
• Longitudal waves: vibration of particles are along the wave
• ocean waves are transversal
• sound waves are longitudal
• amplitude is the maximum movement of the particles from their rest position, elsewise the height of a crest or the depth of a trough
• wavelength is the distance between bottom of one trough to the next trough
• frequency is the number of beaks that pass a point in one second and is measured in Hz
• time period = time taken for source to produce 1 wave
• time period = 1/frequency
• frequency = 1/time period
• speed = frequency x wavelength
• wavefronts and rays are ways of representing a wave. ina. wavefron,kt all points are connected of equal phase, wheras in rays they intersect wave fronts at 90 degrees
• doppler effect is the perceived change in frequency due to distance from source. it is because as the source gets closer the wavefronts get closer and the wavelengths get shorter. wave speed is same and because speed = frequency x wavelength the frequency is higher to account for the lower wavelength and same speed.