1.An introduction to waves Light and sound travel as waves.

There are two types of wave - transverse waves and longitudinal. Waves can be described by their amplitude, wavelength and frequency . The speed of a wave can be calculated from its frequency and wavelength. 2. Defining waves Waves are vibrations that transfer energy from place to place without matter (solid, liquid or gas) being transferred. Think of a Mexican wave in a football crowd. The wave moves around the stadium, while each spectator stays in their seat only moving up then down when it's their turn. Some waves must travel through a substance. The substance is known as the medium, and it can be solid, liquid or gas. Sound waves and seismic waves are like this. They must travel through a medium. It is the medium that vibrates as the waves travel through. Other waves do not need to travel through a substance. They may be able to travel through a medium, but they do not have to. Visible light, infrared rays, microwaves and other types of electromagnetic radiation are like this. They can travel through empty space. Electrical or magnetic fields vibrate as the waves travel through. There are two types of waves: Transverse and longitudinal waves. Describe the characteristics of transverse and longitudinal waves are as follows. a. Transverse waves Light and other types of electromagnetic radiation are transverse waves. Water waves and S waves (a type of seismic wave) are also transverse waves. In transverse waves, the vibrations are at right angles to the direction of travel.

b. Longitudinal waves Sound waves and waves in a stretched spring are longitudinal waves. P waves (relatively fast moving longitudinal seismic waves that travel through liquids and solids) are also longitudinal waves. In longitudinal waves, the vibrations are along the same direction as the direction of travel. Amplitude, wavelength and frequency Defining amplitude, wavelength and frequency of a wave. Amplitude As waves travel, they set up patterns of disturbance. The amplitude of a wave is its maximum disturbance from its undisturbed position. Take care: the amplitude is not the distance between the top and bottom of a wave.

Wavelength The wavelength of a wave is the distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next wave. It is often easiest to measure this from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next wave, but it doesn't matter where as long as it is the same point in each wave. Frequency The frequency of a wave is the number of waves produced by a source each second. It is also the number of waves that pass a certain point each second. The unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz). It is common for kilohertz (kHz), megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz) to be used when waves have very high frequencies. For example, most people cannot hear a high-pitched sound above 20 kHz; radio stations broadcast radio waves with frequencies of about 100MHz, while most wireless computer networks operate at 2.4GHz.
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Exercise 1: An introduction to waves 1. What can we say if the vibrations in a wave are at right angles to the direction of travel? a) It must be a transverse wave. b) It must be a longitudinal wave. c) It must be a sound wave. 2. What can we say if the vibrations in a wave follow the same direction as the direction of travel? a) It must be a transverse wave. b) It must be a longitudinal wave. c) It must be a light wave. 3. The distance from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next wave is called: a) The amplitude b) The wavelength c) The frequency 4. What is the unit of frequency? a) m/s b) s c) Hz 5. Which is the correct equation? a) b) c) wave speed = frequency x wavelength wave speed = frequency + wavelength wave speed = frequency wavelength

1. What can we say if the vibrations in a wave are at right angles to the direction of travel? Vibrations are at right angles to the direction of travel in a transverse wave. 2. What can we say if the vibrations in a wave follow the same direction as the direction of travel? Vibrations follow the same direction of travel in a longitudinal wave. 3. The distance from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next wave is called: The distance between the crest of a wave and the next crest of a wave is the wavelength. 4. What is the unit of frequency? Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz). 5. Which is the correct equation? The right equation is: Wave speed = frequency x wavelength Water waves Water waves in a ripple tank may be used to demonstrate the general properties of waves, including reflection, refraction and diffraction. The ripple tank Water waves are often used in schools to demonstrate the properties of waves. The ripple tank is the device used in the demonstrations. The diagram shows a typical ripple tank.

An oscillating paddle produces a continuous series of identical waves in a shallow tank of water. Depending on the design of the ripple tank, images of these waves may be projected onto a screen or the ceiling. By placing different types of object in the ripple tank, it is possible to demonstrate reflection, refraction and diffraction in water waves. Reflection Background information Remember that sound waves bounce back from flat surfaces to give echoes. Light waves also bounce back from flat surfaces, especially if they are shiny. This is called reflection. The angle at which a light ray leaves a surface is the same as the angle at which it meets the surface: we say the angle of reflection equals the angle of incidence. Reflection of water waves The ripple tank can be used to demonstrate the reflection of water waves. If a barrier (deeper than the water) is placed in the water, the waves will reflect off it. Refraction. Background information Sound waves change direction when they pass from one substance to another. Light waves also change direction when they cross the boundary between one transparent substance to the next, unless they meet the boundary at 90. This is called refraction. This is why a pencil appears to bend if it is half submerged at an angle in a cup of water, and why swimming pools look shallower than they really are. Refraction of water waves The ripple tank can be used to demonstrate the refraction of water waves. If a barrier (shallower than the water) is placed in the water, the waves will refract. This is because the waves travel more slowly in shallow water. The change in wave speed as the waves pass over the boundary between two different depths makes the waves change direction. Diffraction (Double only) Waves spread out from their edges when they pass a barrier or travel through a gap in a barrier. This is called diffraction. This is why we can hear people talking around a corner. Diffraction of water waves The ripple tank can be used to demonstrate the diffraction of water waves. If a barrier (deeper than the water, but with a gap) is placed in the water, the waves will diffract. They spread out as they emerge from the other side of the gap. The narrower the gap, the more the waves spread out or diffract.