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1 Waves
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Motion of Waves

A boy is moving to and fro on a swing.

This type of motion is called an oscillation.

Motion of Waves
An oscillating or vibrating motion in which a
point or body moves back and forth along a line
about a fixed central point produces waves.
Examples:
Light waves are produced as a result of
vibrations of electrons in an atom.
Sound waves are produced by vibrating
mechanical bodies such as guitar strings or a
tuning fork.
Water waves are produced by a disturbance
on a still water surface.
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Motion of Waves
Waves are carrier of energy.
They transfer energy from one
location to another.
Waves transfer energy without
transferring matter.
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Motion of Waves

The waves transfer energy from the stone

to the cork.
The cork does not moves outwards as the
wave passes because the water itself does
not move outwards.
Conclusion:
Energy is transferred from stone to the cork
which does not involved the transfer of water.

Transverse Waves

A transverse wave is one in which the

vibration of the medium is perpendicular
to the direction of propagation of the wave.
Examples: water waves, light waves,
electromagnetic waves.

Longitudinal Waves

Longitudinal waves are waves where the

vibration of the medium is parallel to
the propagation of the wave.
Examples: sound waves.
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Differences

Wave fronts

Water wave have crests and troughs.

A crest is the highest position of the wave.
A trough is the lowest position of the wave.

In waves, lines joining all the points of

the same phase are called wave fronts.
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Wavelengths ()

The wavelength of a wave is the distance

between two adjacent points of the same
phase on a wave.
SI unit: m
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Amplitude (a)

The amplitude of a wave is its maximum

displacement from its equilibrium position.
SI unit: m

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Period (T) & Frequency (f)

The period of a wave is the time taken
for an oscillation to complete one cycle.
SI unit: s
The frequency of a wave is the number
of waves produced by a source in one
unit time.
SI unit: Hz, s-1

1
T
f

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Wave Speed (v)

The speed of a wave is the
measurement of how fast a crest is
moving from a fixed point.
SI unit: ms-1

v=f
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Displacement-Time
Graph

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DisplacementDistance Graph

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Example 1

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Example 2

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Damping
In an oscillating system such as the oscillation
of a simple pendulum, the oscillation does not
continue with the same amplitude indefinitely
except when the system is oscillating in
vacuum.
The amplitude of oscillation of the simple
pendulum will gradually decreases and
become zero when the oscillations stops.
The decrease in the amplitude of an
oscillating system is called damping.
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Damping

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Damping
To enable an oscillating system to go on
continuously, an external force must be
applied to the system.
The external force supplies energy to the
system. Such a motion is called a forced
oscillation.
The frequency of a system which oscillates
freely without the action of an external force is
called the natural frequency.
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Resonance
Resonance occurs when a system is
made to oscillate at a frequency
equivalent to its natural frequency
by an external force.
The resonating system oscillates at its
maximum amplitude.

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