Waves

• Wave: a disturbance that carries only energy to one point to another.
• Classifications of waves

  • direction of movement
  • presence or absence of medium
• Transverse: vibration is perpendicular to the direction of the wave

  up and down wave

  Examples: water waves, s-type earthquake wave, light waves

  
• Longitudinal: vibration is parallel to the direction of the motion of the wave

  push wave

  Examples: sound waves, compression waves, p-type earthquake wave

  
• Direction:

  • transverse
  • longitudinal
• Medium

  • Mechanical wave: needs a medium
  • Electromagnetic wave: does not need a medium
• Transverse wave structure:

  Crest: highest point

  Trough: lowest point

  
• Longitudinal wave structure:

  1. Compression
  2. Rarefaction

  
• Amplitude: height of wave

  Wavelength: distance between point of one wave to another

  Frequency: number of complete waves

  Period: how much time a wave took to complete its cycle