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Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Waves

  • Waves - repeated motion/vibrations that travel through a medium
  • Waves are good for a transportation of energy between different points
  • Parts of a wave that is measurable: wavelength, amplitude, wave speed, period, and frequency

Types/Categories of Waves

  • Mechanical waves - requires a medium (sound, water)
  • Electromagnetic waves - created by stars and celestial objects, no medium is needed (radio)
  • Radio waves - emitted by radio stations and stars
  • Microwaves - easily absorbed by water (radar, cell phone)
  • Infrared - "below red," associated with heat (night vision, weather forecasting)
  • Visible Light - only part of spectrum you see
  • Ultraviolet waves - "beyond violet" (kills viruses, lowers sunburns)
  • X-rays - imaging bones, radiotherapy
  • Gamma rays - generated from nuclear reactions (stars, bombs)
  • Light waves - don't require a medium, travels fastest in a vacuum 
  • Speed of light - 3.00x10^8 m/s
  • Medium - material the wave travels through
  • Some require a medium to travel while others do not
  • Transverse and longitudial/compression waves

Other Vocabulary

  • Pulse - one wave that travels through a medium
  • Continuous - repeatedly move up and down

Parts of a transverse Wave

  • Transverse waves - moves perpendicular
  • Crest - top of the wave
  • Trough - bottom of the wave
  • Amplitude - distance from center to crest trough

Parts of a compression wave

  • Compress zone - particles close together
  • Rarefaction zone - less dense area
  • Compression waves - moves parallel

Calculating Wave Speed

  • Period (T) - time it takes for one length to pass (units = s)
  • Frequency (F) - number of waves that pass each second
  • Hertz (Hz) - 1 Hz = 1 wave per second
  • Wavelength - one complete cycle of a wave
  • Equation for Wave Speed - Speed = frequency x wavelength

Wave Interference

  • Occurs when two waves run into each other
  • Temporary create one wave with different amplitudes
  • Amplitude- measure waves height and energy

Constructive Interference

  • Two waves combine to form a larger wave
  • Waves are in phase - amplitudes add together

Destructive Inteference

  • Two waves combine to form a smaller wave
  • If the crest of one wave coincides with trough of second wave = out of phase (cancels out)

Rogue Waves

  • Created by superposition of waves
  • Superposition - combining of waves 

Standing Waves

  • Caused by two waves inferring with one another continuously
  • Looks like it is still




Physics: Waves and Behaviors Notes

Waves

  • Waves - repeated motion/vibrations that travel through a medium
  • Waves are good for a transportation of energy between different points
  • Parts of a wave that is measurable: wavelength, amplitude, wave speed, period, and frequency

Types/Categories of Waves

  • Mechanical waves - requires a medium (sound, water)
  • Electromagnetic waves - created by stars and celestial objects, no medium is needed (radio)
  • Radio waves - emitted by radio stations and stars
  • Microwaves - easily absorbed by water (radar, cell phone)
  • Infrared - "below red," associated with heat (night vision, weather forecasting)
  • Visible Light - only part of spectrum you see
  • Ultraviolet waves - "beyond violet" (kills viruses, lowers sunburns)
  • X-rays - imaging bones, radiotherapy
  • Gamma rays - generated from nuclear reactions (stars, bombs)
  • Light waves - don't require a medium, travels fastest in a vacuum 
  • Speed of light - 3.00x10^8 m/s
  • Medium - material the wave travels through
  • Some require a medium to travel while others do not
  • Transverse and longitudial/compression waves

Other Vocabulary

  • Pulse - one wave that travels through a medium
  • Continuous - repeatedly move up and down

Parts of a transverse Wave

  • Transverse waves - moves perpendicular
  • Crest - top of the wave
  • Trough - bottom of the wave
  • Amplitude - distance from center to crest trough

Parts of a compression wave

  • Compress zone - particles close together
  • Rarefaction zone - less dense area
  • Compression waves - moves parallel

Calculating Wave Speed

  • Period (T) - time it takes for one length to pass (units = s)
  • Frequency (F) - number of waves that pass each second
  • Hertz (Hz) - 1 Hz = 1 wave per second
  • Wavelength - one complete cycle of a wave
  • Equation for Wave Speed - Speed = frequency x wavelength

Wave Interference

  • Occurs when two waves run into each other
  • Temporary create one wave with different amplitudes
  • Amplitude- measure waves height and energy

Constructive Interference

  • Two waves combine to form a larger wave
  • Waves are in phase - amplitudes add together

Destructive Inteference

  • Two waves combine to form a smaller wave
  • If the crest of one wave coincides with trough of second wave = out of phase (cancels out)

Rogue Waves

  • Created by superposition of waves
  • Superposition - combining of waves 

Standing Waves

  • Caused by two waves inferring with one another continuously
  • Looks like it is still