What is wavelength?
the distance between the same point on adjacent waves
What is amplitude?
the maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position
What is frequency?
the number of complete wave that pass a certain point per second
What is the unit of frequency?
hertz (Hz)
What are transverse waves?
waves which have oscillations perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
Give some examples of transverse waves
electromagnetic waves
waves in water
What are longitudinal waves?
waves which have oscillations parallel to the direction of energy transfer
(made up of compressions and rarefractions)
Give some examples of longitudinal waves
sound shock waves (eg. seismic waves)
What practicals can you do to investigate waves?
- observe ripples in a water tank by using a lamp and watching the shadows on a piece of paper bellow so that you can then use the wave equation to calculate wave speed
- using a signal generator and vibration transducer to make a string vibrate so that wave speed can be calculated by using the frequency of the generator and measuring the wavelengths
What can happen to waves at the boundary of two objects?
- absorbed
- transmitted (and refracted)
- reflected
angle of reflection =
angle of incidence
What are the two types of reflection?
specular reflection
diffuse reflection
What is specular reflection?
when waves reflect of a smooth surface in one direction
What is diffuse reflection?
when waves reflect of a rough surface in lots of different directions
(because each ray has a different normal and different angle of incidence)
