intro to waves

• Waves


  • They transfer energy and information without transferring matter
• Medium


  The substance that waves travel through and need to have in order to move
• Classification of Waves


  • According to what they move through (Medium)
  • According to how particles move through them
• Electromagnetic Waves


  Waves that can travel through matter or empty space where matter is not present
• Mechanical Waves


  Require the particles of the medium to vibrate in order for energy to be transferred
• Mechanical Waves


  • water waves
  • earthquake waves
  • sound waves
  • waves that travel down a rope or spring
• Transverse Waves


  A wave that disturbs the particles in the medium perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel
• Longitudinal Waves


  A wave that disturbs the particles in the medium parallel to the direction of the wave's travel
• Amplitude


  The distance of crest or trough from midpoint of the wave
• The bigger the amplitude of the wave, the more energy the wave has
• Crest


  The top point of a wave
• Trough


  The bottom point of a wave
• Wavelength


  The distance from crest to crest or trough to trough, expressed in meters
• Compression


  A crowded area causing a high-pressure region
• Refraction


  A spread out area causing a low-pressure region
• Frequency


  The number of complete oscillations a point on that wave makes each second, measured in Hertz (Hz)
• Period


  The time it takes a wave to go through one cycle, or the time it takes a point to go through one phase of the wave, measured in seconds
• Speed


  The distance travelled by a wave crest in one period
• Waves transfer energy, NOT MASS