modelling waves -> traverse and longitudinal

• sound waves

  • longitudinal waves because the particles move back and forth along the same line as the movement of energy
• transverse waves

  • e.g. waves on the surface of the water & some earthquakes & light
  • the motion of the particles is up and down , not along the same line as the movement of the waves energy , which travels forwards
• oscillations of transverse waves

  perpendicular (90 deg) to the line of travel of the wave
• frequency = number of oscillations per second
• transverse vs longitudinal waves with a slinky

  • used to make both kinds of waves
  • you can make the individual coils oscillate back-and-forth or up-and-down
• why is using a slinky to model waves good

  you can control frequency , wavelength and amplitude
• what does a slinky do that is similar to real waves

  • transmits energy from one place to another
  • can reflect back from one end
  • loses some energy to the environment over time ( absorption )
• what do water ripples do

  reflect -> bounce of objects

  refract -> change direction when they change speed

  superpose -> add up or cancel out to make complex patterns
• two different types of super posing

  constructive interference:

  destructive interference:
• water waves are refracted when they slow down
• Wave Energy in Transverse Waves

  The wave's energy travels forward, not the particles themselves.