Physics Waves
- Created by: Sophie Train Clark
- Created on: 03-05-12 17:37
Fullscreen
Waves
General properties of waves
- Light travels as waves
- Waves can be described by their amplitude, frequency or wavelength
- The speed of a wave can be calculated by frequency or wavelength
- Waves are vibrations that transfer energy from place to place without matter being transferred
- Some waves must travel through a substance which is known as the medium
- Sound waves and seismic waves are like this
- Other waves don't need to travel through a substance
- Visible light, infrared waves, microwaves and other types of electromagnetic radiation are like this
- Electrical and magnetic fields vibrate as the waves travel
- Transverse waves: the oscillations (vibrations) are at right angles to the direction of travel and energy transfer
- Light and other types of electromagnetic radiation are transverse waves
- Longitudinal waves: the oscillations are along the same direction as the direction of travel and energy transfer
- Sound waves and waves in a stretched spring are longitudinal waves
- Longitudinal waves show areas of compression and rarefraction
- Amplitude: maximum disturbance from its undisturbed position
- Wavelength: distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next
- Frequency: number of waves produced by a source each second
- Wave length in m/s = frequency in Hz x wavelength in metres
- Waves can be refracted and diffracted
- Sound waves and light waves change speed when they pass across the boundary between two substances with different densities, like air and glass
- This causes them to change direction which is called refraction
- Refraction doesn't happen if the waves cross the boundary…
Comments
Report
Report