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Intro Waves

Intro waves

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Ania Alpiche
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8 views

Intro Waves

Intro waves

Uploaded by

Ania Alpiche
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What are Waves?

A wave is a transfer of energy


through a medium from one point
to another.
Types of Waves
• Mechanical Waves – need matter (or
medium) to transfer energy
• A medium is the substance through
which a wave can travel. Ex. Air; water;
particles; strings; solids; liquids; gases

• Electromagnetic Waves – DO NOT NEED


matter (or medium) to transfer energy
• They do not need a medium, but they
can go through matter (medium), such as
air, water, and glass
Mechanical Waves
Waves that need matter
(medium) to transfer energy:

Examples: Sound waves, ocean


waves, ripples in water,
earthquakes, wave of people at
a sporting event
Some examples of
Mechanical
Waves
TWO TYPES OF MECHANICAL
WAVES

❖TRANSVERSE WAVE
❖LONGITUDINAL WAVE
Transverse
(Mechanical) Waves
• Particles of the medium move
perpendicular to the direction of
the motion of the waves.
• Energy causes the matter in the
medium to move up and down or
back and forth
Parts of a
Transverse Wave

The crest is
the highest
point on a
wave.
Parts of a
Transverse Wave

The trough is
the valley
between two
waves, is the
lowest point.
Parts of a Transverse Wave
The wavelength is the horizontal
distance, either between the crests or
troughs of two consecutive waves.
An ocean wave is an example of
a mechanical transverse wave
Wave Simulator
Longitudinal Wave
• particles of the medium vibrate
parallel to the direction of the
motion of the waves.
• matter in the medium moves
forward and backward along the
same direction that the wave
travels.
A slinky is a good illustration
of how a compressional wave
moves
Parts of a Longitudinal Wave

The compression is the part of the


compressional wave where the
particles are crowded together.
Parts of a Longitudinal Wave

The rarefaction is the part of the


compressional wave where the
particles are spread apart.
Characteristics of a Wave

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