Longitudinal and Transverse Waves

• What do waves transfer from one place to another?

  Energy
• What happens when light waves pass from a phone screen to your eye?

  Only energy is transferred
• How does our brain interpret energy from waves?

  It builds images and tunes from light and sounds
• What do waves do as they travel from one place to another?

  They vibrate or oscillate
• In a displacement distance graph, what does the 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
• How do you calculate wave speed?

  Wave speed = wavelength × frequency
• What is the unit for measuring frequency?

  Hertz
• What are the characteristics of transverse waves?

  Oscillations are perpendicular to energy transfer
• How do longitudinal waves oscillate?

  Oscillations are parallel to energy transfer
• What are the differences between transverse and longitudinal waves?

  • Transverse waves: oscillations perpendicular to energy transfer
  • Longitudinal waves: oscillations parallel to energy transfer
  • Examples:
  • Transverse: light waves, water waves
  • Longitudinal: sound waves, seismic p waves
• How do wave properties relate to energy transfer?

  • Waves transfer energy without transferring matter
  • Energy can be interpreted as information
  • Oscillation characteristics affect wave behavior