Hi

• Wave carries energy from place to place
• Transverse wave:

  • Medium moves at right angles to the direction of the wave
  • Parts:
  • Crest: highest point of the wave
  • Trough: lowest point of the wave
• Compressional or longitudinal waves:

  • Medium moves back and forth in the same direction as the wave
  • Parts:
  • Compression: where the particles are close together
  • Rarefaction: where the particles are spread apart
• Wavelength: the distance between one point on a wave and the exact same place on the next wave
• Frequency: how many objects pass a point in a given time measured in hertz (Hz). Higher frequency means more energy in the wave.

  • 10 waves going past in 1 second = 10Hz
  • 1,000 waves going past in 1 second = 1,000Hz
  • 1 million waves going past in 1 second = 1 million Hz
• Amplitude: how far the medium moves from the rest position (where it is not moving)
• Wave speed varies in solid, liquids, and gases. It can be calculated as wave speed = wavelength x frequency
• Reflection: waves bounce off a surface, with the angle of incidence equaling the angle of reflection if the surface is flat
• Diffraction: bending of waves around an object, with the amount of bending depending on the size of the obstacle