mechanical waves Flashcards
(18 cards)
what are the 2 types of wave
mechanical
electromagnetic
types of mechanical waves
water
sound
seismic p and s
what is the line in the middle of a wave
equilibrium
when the position of an object is constantly changing in the same way we say it is
oscillating
in a wave the particles..
all start moving at different times
are at different distances from the equilibrium
what is the matter that is oscillating in a wave called
the medium
what is a wave
the propagation or storage of energy through a medium or the vacuum, without any transfer of the medium itself.
what is a mechanical wave
cause vibrations of particles in a solid, liquid or gas and must have a medium to travel through
what cant mechanical waves pass through
a vacuum
what is the direction of the wave travel show
the direction of energy propagation
what is a progressive wave
oscillation that moves through matter or a vacuum, transferring energy from one place to another without transferring matter:
what is a transverse wave
a wave where propagations occur perpendicular to the direction of energy propagation
what is a longitudinal wave
a wave where propagations occur parallel to the direction of energy propagation
what are compressions
High density, high pressure areas in longitudinal waves
what are rarefractions
low density, low pressure areas in longitudinal waves
what are the types of longitudinal waves
sound
seismic-p waves
ultrasound
examples of mechanical transverse waves
siesmic s-waves
waves on a string
how can a person hear sound
The vibrations from the speaker cause particles around the speaker to oscillate. These oscillations are passed to neighbouring particles, and so on across the room, until the particles in the person’s ear are vibrating. This causes the person to hear a sound.
