Wave Properties
- Created by: Georgia
- Created on: 23-11-17 18:35
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- Waves
- The Nature Of Waves
- Waves transfer energy
- Particles in a wave oscillate to and fro
- The direction the wave moves is the direction of energy transfer
- Transverse waves
- Direction of energy transfer perpendicular to direction of oscillation
- Longitudinal waves
- Direction of energy transfer is parallel to the oscillation of the waves
- Mechanical waves
- Travel through a medium
- Electromagnetic
- Can travel through a vacum
- Properties of Waves
- Amplitude is the height of the wave crest
- Greater amplitude= more energy
- Wavelength is distance from one crest to the next
- Frequency is no. of wave crests passing a certain point in a second
- Measured in Hz
- Period is the time it takes for one wavelength to pass a certain point
- 1/frequency
- Speed = frequency x wavelength
- Amplitude is the height of the wave crest
- Reflection and Refraction
- Behavior of waves can be investigated using water tanks
- Relfection
- If a barrier is placed in the tank, the wave is reflected
- The refelected wavefront moves away from the barrier at the same angel as the incident wave
- No change in speed or wavefront
- Refraction
- Waves change speed and wavelength when the pass a boundary between substances
- Unless the wave meets the boundary at a right angel, the wave changes direction
- Relfection
- Behavior of waves can be investigated using water tanks
- Soundwaves
- Sound waves are mechanical, longitudinal waves
- When soundwaves reflect, they produce an echo
- Pitch depends on the frequency
- Loudness depends on the amplitude
- When soundwaves reach the ear they make the eardrum vibrate
- This only works on a limited range of frequencies
- 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- This only works on a limited range of frequencies
- The intensity we can detect varies with frequency
- We hear best around 3 kHz
- Uses of Ultrasound
- Ultrasound = soundwaves high than 20 kHz
- Ultrasound can be used in medicine as a safer alternative to X-rays
- Seismic Waves
- Produced by earthquakes
- Primary seismic waves are longitudanal
- Refract between the mantle and the core
- Secondary seismic waves are transverse
- Travel more slowly and cause more termor
- Can't travel through the core
- Long waves travel the slowest
- Don't travel past the Earth's crust
- Seismometers record these waves
- Analysis of these waves have allowed us to understand the earth's structure
- The Nature Of Waves
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