PROPERTIES OF WAVES Flashcards
Complete this sentence:
Waves transfer ________ and _________ but do not transfer ________.
Waves transfer ENERGY and INFORMATION but do not transfer MATTER.
What are the two types of waves?
- Transverse
- Longitudinal
What is a transverse wave?
A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
What is a longitudinal wave?
A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
Give two examples of transverse waves.
- Electromagnetic waves
- Seismic s-waves
Give two examples of longitudinal waves.
- Sound waves
- Seismic p-waves
What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called?
Compressions and rarefactions
What are the two parts of a transverse wave called?
Peaks and troughs
What is a wave’s amplitude?
The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position.
What is wavelength?
- The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave
- Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough
What is the frequency of a wave?
The number of wages that pass a given point each second.
What is the unit used for frequency?
Hertz, Hz
What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?
200 waves pass a given point each second
What is wave speed?
The speed at which energy is train through a medium
What does a wave transfer?
Energy
What is wave velocity?
Wave velocity (measured in metres per second) is equal to the product of the wavelength and frequency of the wave
State the equation used to calculate wave speed. Give appropriate units.
Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength
Speed (m/s), Frequency (Hz), Wavelength (m)
What is meant by the period of the wave?
The length of time it takes for one full wave to pass through a point
