UNIT 12.

WAVES
LIGHT AND SOUND

Irene Razola Pujades IES Doctor Maran

INDEX:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Waves: a way of transferring energy.

Light
Light phenomena
Sound
How sound travels

1. WAVES: A WAY OF
TRANSFERRING ENERGY
A wave is a disturbance that travels a distance,
carrying the energy which generated it.

DISTURBANCE CAUSED
BY MECHANICAL
ENERGY OF A DROP OF
WATER

ION IN
T
A
G
A
P
O
R
P
ENERGY
WAVES
F
O
M
R
O
F
THE

The drop causes the water particles to vibrate (oscillate), so they get mechanical
energy. This vibration is transmitted from the centre to the particles nearby, and from
those to the next, etc. This way, energy travels.

Waves do not transport matter

Although waves transport energy, it doesnt transport
matter. This means that the particles of the medium are
not displaced.

The wave moves to the right, but the boat stays at the same
poin moving up and down. The boat (and also the molecules of
water) are not displaced by the wave.
However, the oscillation and the energy, are transmitted.

Waves are periodic!!!

Effect of the passage of the
wave through a given point.
Let us think of the blue dot
as if it were a piece of cork
floating on the water
surface. The cork oscillates
up and down with a
frequency equal to that of
the vibration of the water
surface, which is the
frequency of the wave.

Types of waves
We classify waves according to the type of energy they
carry, and to their need of a medium to propagate.

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES = They carry electromagnetic or

radiant energy. They dont need a material medium to propagate,
they can travel across a vacuum.
MECHANICAL WAVES = They
they need a material medium
oscillate).

carry mechanical energy and

to propagate (particles must

Now, classify the following examples of waves as electromagnetic or mechanical:

ripples produced in a pond when you throw a rock, light, microwaves, a guitar string
vibrating, infrarred radiation, sound
If you travelled to the outer space, could you see anything? Could you hear anything?
Why?

Types of waves
Mechanical waves can also be classified into two types,
according to the vibration direction of particles.

LONGITUDINAL WAVES = Particles motion is parallel to the

direction of the wave.
TRANSVERSE WAVES = Particles motion is perpendicular to
the direction of the wave.

Characteristics of a wave
Amplitude, A (m) = maximum height of a peak or in mechanical
waves, maximum displacement of particles
Wavelength, (m) = distance between two consecutive peaks or
troughs, or length of a complete oscillation.
Frequency, f (Hz) = number of complete oscillations per second.
Period, T (s) = time it takes for a complete oscillation to go over a
given point (T = 1/f or f = 1/T).
Speed of propagation, v (m/s) = space travelled per unit of time
(v=e/t = /T = f)

The
higher
the
frequency of a wave
is, the shorter its
wavelength is.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/s/sound/amplitude.asp

2. LIGHT
Light consists of electromagnetic waves.
It can have different frequencies and wavelengths.

EM waves with high frequency and low vavelenght

transport more energy than EM waves with low
frequency and long wavelength.

2. LIGHT

Visible light is EM radiation with wavelenghts that range from 400 nm

(violet) to 700 nm (red) approximately.
Its the only type that our eyes can detect.
Each wavelength corresponds to a different colour.

Light characteristics
It travels in a straight line.
For this reason, when
an object blocks it, there
is a shadow behind.
This is the cause for day
and night and eclipses.
To
represent
the
direction in which light
travels, we normally use
imaginary straight lines,
called RAYS.

Light characteristics
It travels at a constant speed. The speed
depends on the medium.

In a vacuum it travels at 300,000 km/s (310 8

m/s).
In the air, the speed is similar to the speed in
a vacuum.
In water, the speed of light decreases.
This is the cause for phenomena like
refraction.

How does matter respond to light?

They let the light

pass through.
We can clearly
see through
them

They only let

some light pass
through.
We cant see
clearly through
them

They dont let the

light pass
through.
We cant see
through them.

How does matter respond to light?

Classify the following items as transparent, translucent or opaque:

What is light pollution?

It is the brightness of light in the night sky.
It is a consequence of the reflection of
artificial light on air particles.
It hides the stars.

3. LIGHT PHENOMENA
In a vacuum, light travels in a straight line at 300,000
km/s, but when it interacts with matter (air particles, a
solid or a liquid surface, etc.) many phenomena occur.
We will study
LIGHT
REFLECTION

LIGHT
REFRACTION

LIGHT
DISPERSION

A. Light reflection
It is the change in direction of light that occurs when it
travels through a certain medium and strikes the surface
of a different one, returning into the previous medium.

A. Light reflection
Laws of reflection:
The angle at which the ray is incident on the surface
equals the angle at which it is reflected = .
The incident ray and the reflected ray are on the
same plane, which is perpendicular to the surface.

How do mirrors form images?

A mirror is a polished, opaque surfaceWhen the light strikes a mirror, it is
reflected and reaches our eyes. As our eyes also see in a straight line, our brain
project the virtual image as if it was behind the mirror.
Plane mirrors form images that look exactly as the real object, but curved mirrors
form deformed images.

A. Light reflection
Some objects emit their own light, which they
produce (e.g. the Sun). We say they are a
PRIMARY SOURCE.
Some other objectis dont emit their own light but
reflect the light that reaches them (e.g. the
Moon).

When a body receives light, it

absorbs part of the radiations
and reflects others.
Reflected radiation radiation,
with its particular wavelength
reaches our eyes. Absorbed
radiation doesnt reach our eyes.
For example, a green leave is
green because when illuminated
by sunlight, it absorbs all
wavelenghts
but
those
corresponding to green.

The colour of
bodies

The colour of bodies

B. Light refraction
Refraction is the change in direction of light when it
crosses a surface that separates two different mediums.
The cause of refraction is that light keeps travelling in a
straight line, but at a different speed in the second
medium

Greater speed

Lower speed: light

travels a shorter
distance: the ray
approaches the normal

B. Light refraction

Greater speed: light

travels a longest
distance, it bends
away from the
normal

Lower speed

How do we perceive refraction?

Refracted rays bend when they cross the boundary between two mediums and
they reach our eyes. But our brain projects the image in a straight line, so we
think the object is at a different depth and distance than it really is.

C. Light dispersion
Light dispersion is the scattering of light through
mediums that separate it into its colours.

What parts of the human eye

can you identify in the
image?

We have covered the

contents
about
the
human eye and the action
of lenses thanks to two
photocopies !!
Remember to study them
for the exam.

4. SOUND
Sound consists of mechanical waves.
Therefore, they need a medium to propagate.
Sound, as light, travels in a straight line and at a
constant speed that depends on the medium. In
the air, the speed of sound is 340 m/s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27a26e2CnuM

Sound properties
Different sound waves may have different characteristics
(frequency, wavelength)
According to them, there are 3 important sound properties:

Intensity & loudness: intensity is the energy transmitted per unit of time
and area. Loudness, is directly related to it: the higher intensity, the louder
a sound is. Intensity changes depends on the amplitude and it is
measured in decibels (dB).
Pitch: it is a perceptual property of sound that orders them according to
their frequency. High frequencies mean high sounds, while low
frequencies mean low pitch or bass sounds. Each musical note, has a
specific pitch.
Timbre: it allows to distinguish two sounds with the same intensity and
pitch but made but two different intstruments or people. The shape of the
wave determines the timbre.

Sound properties

http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/jw/sound-pitch-loudness-timbre.htm

How does the human ear work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jyxhozq89g

Humans can only hear

sound waves with a
frequency between 20
and 20,000 Hz.

5. HOW SOUND TRAVELS

The speed of sound in the air is 340 m/s
As sound travels in a straight line and at a
constant speed, we can apply the general
equation for a Uniform Linear Motion:
v = e/t
In general, the speed of sound increases
when particles that compose matter are
closer. So: v solids > v liquids > v gases

Sound phenomena
a)

ECHO: It is the prepetition of a sound when sound waves bounce

off (reflect on) an obstructing surface, such as a mountain or a
wall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXWcqriPvgk

The human ear can only distinguish to sounds if they are 0.1 s
apart.
Therefore, we can only perceive the echo when the obstructing
surface is at least 17 m away from us:
e = vt = 340m/s0.1= 34 m. 34 m/2 = 17 m

SONAR
SONAR = Sound Navigation And Ranging
SONAR is a device used in ships and submarines that uses the
echo effect to detect how far an object is from them.
This mechanism emits ultrasounds which are reflected by the object
and detected back by the mechanism. Using the ULM equation, it is
easy to work out the distance at which the object is.

Sound phenomena
b)

Reverberation: It is the collection of reflected sounds produced in

an enclosure when the obstructing surfaces are less than 17 m
away. In reverberation we cant distinguish clear repetitions of the
original sound.

Noise pollution
It is the excessive sound ( loud and / or
lasting) or the sound made in the wrong
place.

An excessive exposure to noises can cause health

problems, such as insomnia, deafness, and mental
diseases. The immune system also weakens, so we are
more susceptible to a great number of diseases.