waves

• waves can be transverse or longitudinal
• properties of longitudinal waves

  area of compression and rarefaction
• properties of transverse waves

  crest and trough
• transverse waves are waves where the displacement of the medium is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation
• in transverse waves the oscillations are perpendicular to direction of energy transfer
• longitudinal waves have oscillations parallel to the direction of travel
• example of transverse waves

  water ripples , light waves , guitar strings
• examples of longitudinal waves 


  sound waves , ultrasound waves , seismic p waves
• when waves are formed matter does not travel
• waves only transfer energy not matter
• what do waves transfer

  energy
• what is the amplitude of a wave

  the maximum displacement away from its undisturbed position
• the amplitude is the max displacement from an undisturbed position
• what is wavelength

  the distance from one point on one wave to the same point on the adjacent wave
• what is frequency

  number of waves that pass a point per second
• frequency is the number of waves the pass a fixed point per second
• period = 1/frequency
• frequency is measured in hertz
• what is frequency measured in

  Hertz
• wave speed is the speed at which energy is transferred through a medium
• wave speed is the rate the waves moves through a medium
• wave speed = frequency x wavelength
• wavelength is measured in meters
• when sound waves travel from one medium from another their velocity frequency and wavelength can change
• what can change when sound waves travel through mediums

  velocity , frequency , wavelength
• as velocity changes so do the frequency and wavelength in relation to eachother
• velocity is frequency x wavelength
• is the velocity decreases the frequency will increase and the wavelength will decrease
• angle of incidence = angle of reflection
• waves can be reflected at the boundary by two different materials
• waves can be absorbed or transmitted at the boundary by two different materials
• what is specular reflection

  reflection off a smooth surface like a flat mirror
• what is diffuse reflection

  reflection off a rough surface
• what is a boundary


  the point where one material ends and another material starts
• SOUND WAVES CAN TRAVEL THROUGH solids causing vibrations in the solid
• the conversion of sound waves to vibrations of solids works over a limited frequency range. this is why human hearing is limited
• why is human hearing limited

  the conversion of sound waves only works with certain frequencies
• what is the range of human hearing

  20hz - 20khz
• if a wave slows down enough it can be reflected be a boundary
• is a wave speeds up it can be absorbed by a boundary