WavesWaves

An oscillation is a movement back and forth.

An oscillation that travels is a wave.

What is a wave?What is a wave?

Waves are an essential way in which energy travels from one place to another.

Waves propagate through space, spreading energy out to other regions which may be quite far away.

Waves and energyWaves and energy

Waves in time and spaceWaves in time and spaceA wave oscillates up and down over time at a given point in space.

A wave oscillates up and down over time at a given point in space.

The wave’s oscillations extend in space at any instant in time.

Waves in time and spaceWaves in time and space

A

The amplitude A of a wave is the maximum amount the water rises or falls compared to its average resting level.

The amplitude of different types of waves may have different units:

• Water wave amplitude is a distance, in meters. • Sound wave amplitude is a pressure, in pascals.

Amplitude Amplitude

The wavelength λ is the distance a wave travels before it begins to repeat itself.

The wavelength can be measured from peak to peak, or trough to trough.

How many wavelengths appear in this figure?

Wavelength Wavelength

λ

The frequency f of a wave is a measure of how quickly it oscillates.

The unit for frequency is the hertz, or Hz.

One hertz equals one cycle per second.

Frequency Frequency

When a wave has a frequency of 10 Hz = 10 cycles/second, then 10 waves travel past a given point each second.

What is the frequency of the wave shown below?

Frequency Frequency

When a wave has a frequency of 10 Hz = 10 cycles/second, then 10 waves travel past a given point each second.

What is the frequency of the wave shown below? 2 Hz

Frequency Frequency

The frequency of a wave conveys information.

Frequency remains the same even if the wave amplitude decreases as it spreads out.

• the frequency of a light wave determines its color.

• the frequency of a sound wave determines its pitch.

Frequency Frequency

The speed of a wave depends on the type of wave and on its medium.

Examples:•speed of typical water waves: 5 m/s

•speed of sound in air: 343 m/s

•speed of light: 300,000,000 m/s (in a vacuum)

Wave speed Wave speed

As a wave moves forward, it advances one wavelength with each complete cycle.

distance:

Wave speed Wave speed

As a wave moves forward, it advances one wavelength with each complete cycle.

distance:

speed:

Wave speed Wave speed

As a wave moves forward, it advances one wavelength with each complete cycle.

distance:

speed:

frequency:

Wave speed Wave speed

As a wave moves forward, it advances one wavelength with each complete cycle.

distance:

speed:

frequency:

wave speed:

Wave speed Wave speed

A water wave has a speed of 5.0 m/s and a wavelength of 2.0 m. What is its frequency?

Engaging with the conceptsEngaging with the concepts

5.0 2.0

Frequency

A water wave has a speed of 5.0 m/s and a wavelength of 2.0 m. What is its frequency? 2.5 hertz

Engaging with the conceptsEngaging with the concepts

Frequency

5.0 2.02.5

A sound wave has a speed of 343 m/s in air. What is the wavelength of a sound wave with frequency of 686 Hz?

Engaging with the conceptsEngaging with the concepts

Wavelength

343 686

A sound wave has a speed of 343 m/s in air. What is the wavelength of a sound wave with frequency of 686 Hz? λ = 50 cm

What happens if frequency is doubled?

Engaging with the conceptsEngaging with the concepts

Wavelength

343 0.50686

Increase the volume. What wave characteristic is affected?

A sound wave has a speed of 343 m/s in air. What is the wavelength of a sound wave with frequency of 686 Hz? λ = 50 cm

What happens if frequency is doubled? Pitch increases and wavelength is halved.

Engaging with the conceptsEngaging with the concepts

Wavelength

343 0.251372

Increase the volume. What wave characteristic is affected? the amplitude

Test your knowledgeTest your knowledge

This wave’s motion is graphed as a function of time and distance.

a. What is the wave frequency?

b. What is the wavelength?

c. What is the amplitude?

d. Calculate the speed of the wave.

This wave’s motion is graphed as a function of time and distance.

a. What is the wave frequency? 1 Hz

b. What is the wavelength? 5 cm

c. What is the amplitude? 10 cm

d. Calculate the speed of the wave. 5 cm/s (0.05 m/s)

Test your knowledgeTest your knowledge

Test your knowledgeTest your knowledgeTwo students use a 10-meter-long spring to create a standing wave. The wavelength is 2.0 m and the frequency is 2.0 Hz.

How fast is the wave traveling along the spring?

Asked: speed v

Given:

Relationship:

Solution:

Two students use a 10-meter-long spring to create a standing wave. The wavelength is 2.0 m and the frequency is 2.0 Hz.

How fast is the wave traveling along the spring?

Asked: speed v

Given:

Relationship:

Solution:

Test your knowledgeTest your knowledge

A wave is an organized mechanism for transferring energy.

•As a wave moves through matter, its energy causes the matter to respond.

•After the wave passes, the matter returns to equilibrium.

Wave energyWave energy

lower energy

low frequency(slower oscillations)long wavelength

The energy of a wave increases with frequency:

Energy and frequencyEnergy and frequency

lower energy higher energy

low frequency high frequency(slower oscillations) (faster oscillations)long wavelength short wavelength

The energy of a wave increases with frequency:

Energy and frequencyEnergy and frequency

The energy of a wave also increases with amplitude:

lower energy

small amplitude

Energy and amplitudeEnergy and amplitude

lower energy higher energy

small amplitude large amplitude

Energy and amplitudeEnergy and amplitudeThe energy of a wave also increases with amplitude:

Waves can cause oscillations in three dimensions.

The direction of motion of the wave is defined as the forward dimension.

The other two dimensions (left-right and up-down) are perpendicular to the direction of motion.

Waves in 3-D spaceWaves in 3-D space

A transverse wave causes oscillations that are perpendicular to the forward motion of the wave.

Examples:•waves in a string•light waves

Transverse wavesTransverse waves

Transverse waves can oscillate in any direction that is perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling!

Try creating both vertically and horizontally oscillating transverse waves using a wave motion rope.

Transverse wavesTransverse waves

Move a Slinky® rapidly forward and back to create a longitudinal compression wave.

A longitudinal wave causes oscillations that move back and forth in the same direction as the traveling wave.

Examples:•sound waves•the waves in a spring as shown in this figure

Longitudinal wavesLongitudinal waves

Longitudinal wavesLongitudinal waves

Polarization describes the direction of the oscillation in a plane perpendicular to the wave velocity.

The wave in this figure is polarized. It is traveling in the z-direction and its oscillations occur only in the y-direction—not in the x-direction.

PolarizationPolarization

What kind of waves can be polarized? Transverse waves? longitudinal waves? or both types?

PolarizationPolarization

What kind of waves can be polarized? Transverse waves? longitudinal waves? or both types?

PolarizationPolarization

•Transverse waves, such as light waves, can be polarized.

•Longitudinal waves, such as sound waves, cannot be polarized.

AssessmentAssessment1. These graphs show the oscillation

of a point on a wave as a function of time, and the oscillation of the extended wave in space at a moment in time.

a. What is the frequency?

b. What is the wavelength?

c. What is the amplitude?

d. Calculate the wave speed.

AssessmentAssessment1. These graphs show the oscillation

of a point on a wave as a function of time, and the oscillation of the extended wave in space at a moment in time.

a. What is the frequency? 0.5 Hz

b. What is the wavelength? 20 cm

c. What is the amplitude? 0.5 cm

d. Calculate the wave speed.

2. Provide an example of a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave. Describe how they are similar and how they are different.

AssessmentAssessment

2. Provide an example of a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave. Describe how they are similar and how they are different.

Each wave is an oscillation that transfers energy.

Waves in a string are transverse waves. Each segment of the string oscillates perpendicular to the forward motion of the wave.

Sound is a longitudinal wave. The air molecules oscillate back and forth, parallel to the direction of the wave’s forward motion.

AssessmentAssessment

Homework• Page 433

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