Intro to waves

• Solving problems and/or making predictions


  Modelling and applying the following relationships to a variety of situations: v = f.λ, f = 1/T
• Waves carry energy with or without a medium
• What is the movement of a Transverse wave

  Movement of the particles is perpendicular to the motion of the wave (these cannot travel through fluids)
• Longitudinal wave


  Movement of the particles is parallel to the motion of the wave
• Wavelength


  Distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs of a wave
• Amplitude


  Maximum displacement of a particle from its mean position
• Period


  Time taken for one complete wave cycle
• Frequency


  Number of wave cycles passing a given point per unit of time
• Speed of a wave formula

  Wavelength / Period
• Speed of a wave is =

  Frequency x Wavelength
• Formula for Frequency


  1 / Period
• Displacement vs distance graph

  • Part of the travelling wave as viewed at an instant in time - Think of it as a snapshot of the wave in time, mean position of medium
• Displacement vs time graph


  • The behaviour of an individual particle in the medium over time, mean position of particle
• Mechanical waves


  Waves that need a medium to travel through
• Electromagnetic waves


  Self-propagating transverse waves which can travel through a vacuum, or a transparent medium
• Types of waves


  • Transverse waves
  • Longitudinal waves
  • Torsional waves
  • Surface waves