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“Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of, who do the things no one can imagine.” - Alan Turing
WAVE PROPERTIES
WEEK 3: 4/13 - 4/20
UNDERSTANDING PARTS OF WAVES
FOR YOUR NOTEBOOK:
IT'S NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE: BUT IT WOULD HELP YOU
Week 3 4/13 - 4/20: Needed Background Information
Vocabulary: THE WHOLE LOT!:
GENERAL WAVE HELP– For you to refer to as we go.
Absorption- occurs when the medium absorbs the energy of the wave and transforms it into heat.
Amplitude- the maximum distance a wave moves from resting position. For sound it’s the volume. For light, brightness.
o Transverse- distance from center to crest or trough
o Longitudinal- distance how close together the particles are within a compression of a longitudinal wave.
Compression- areas where particles of the medium are close together. (In longitudinal waves)
Crest- highest point of a transverse wave
Diffraction- occurs when a wave bends and spreads around a medium
Electromagnetic wave- waves that can travel through a medium but also can travel through empty space
Frequency- Number of waves that pass in a given amount of time. Example 2 waves/second............We would call this 2 Hertz (Hz)
o Frequency of electromagnetic waves determines the energy it has.
▪ X-Rays have high frequency, high energy, very strong
▪ Radio waves have low frequency, low energy, not as strong
Longitudinal wave- wave that vibrates the medium in the same direction (parallel) in which the waves travel
Love wave- transverse waves that move parallel to the ground
Mechanical wave- waves that require a medium to travel through and form when a source of energy causes a medium to vibrate.
Medium- a material substance in which energy is transported.
Primary (P) waves- longitudinal earthquake waves that strike first
Rayleigh Waves- waves that roll along the ground, causing the ground to move up and down as well as side to side
Rarefaction- areas where particles of the medium are far apart. (In longitudinal waves)
Reflection- occurs when a wave bounces off a medium without entering it
Refraction- the change of direction of a wave that occurs because the wave changes speed upon entering a new medium
Secondary (S) waves- transverse seismic waves that strike second
Seismic wave- an elastic wave created by a disturbance in the earth.
Transverse wave- wave that moves at right angles, or perpendicular to the direction in which the waves travels
Trough- lowest point of a transverse wave
Wave- A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one location to another. (remember energy is the ability to do work)
Wave speed- How fast a wave travels from one place to another. Different mediums and environments can contribute to speed.
Wavelength- Length from corresponding points of one wave to the next. Corresponding means similar, Ex. Crest to Crest... Trough to Trough...
o Life Example: Wavelengths determine color of visible light waves.