types of waves

• Waves

  Transfer energy from one place to another but they don't transfer any matter
• Waves

  • Vibrate or oscillate
  • Can be interpreted as meaningful information
• Amplitude

  Maximum displacement of a point of the wave from its rest position
• Wavelength

  Distance of one entire wave. measured from trough to trough, or peak to peak
• Trough


  Lowest pount of the wave
• Displacement time graph

  Time period is the time it takes for one complete oscillation
• Calculating frequency

  Frequency = 1 / Time period
• Calculating wave speed

  Wave speed = Wavelength x Frequency
• Transverse waves

  • Oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
  • For example: water waves, electromagnetic waves
• Longitudinal waves

  • Oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
  • Examples: sound waves, seismic p-waves
• unit of frequency?

  Hertz / Hz
• unit of wavelength?

  metre / m
• unit of time period?

  seconds / s
• rest position


  the undisturbed position of particles or fields when they are not vibrating. (the middle line)
• Peak


  highest point of the wave
• frequency 


  the number of waves passing a point each second