Waves
Wave: The repeating and periodic disturbance that moves through a medium from one location to another.
Wavelength: The length of one complete wave cycle.
Frequency: How often the particles of the medium vibrate when a wave passes through the medium.
- Transverse Wave: A wave in which particles of the medium move in a direction perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves.
- Longitudinal Wave: A wave in which particles of the medium move in a direction parallel to the direction that the wave moves.
- Electromagnetic Wave: A wave that is capable of transmitting its energy through a vacuum (i.e. empty space).
- Mechanical Wave: A wave that is not capable of transmitting its energy through a vacuum (i.e. empty space).
Wavelength: The length of one complete wave cycle.
Frequency: How often the particles of the medium vibrate when a wave passes through the medium.
- Relationship: Frequency refers to how many complete wave cycles happens per any given amount of time.
Constructive Waves: The addition of two or more waves when wave crests overlap to produce a resulting wave of increased amplitude.
Destructive Waves: The combination of waves where crests of one wave overlap troughs of another, resulting in a wave of decreased amplitude.
The Doppler Effect: The apparent change in frequency of a wave due to the motion of the source or of the receiver.
Example: You can hear the Doppler effect when you hear the pitch of a siren as a firetruck or police car passes you on the road. As it approaches you, you hear a higher pitch because the sound wave crests hit you more frequently and as it passes you, the pitch drops because the sound wave crests hit you less frequently.
Destructive Waves: The combination of waves where crests of one wave overlap troughs of another, resulting in a wave of decreased amplitude.
The Doppler Effect: The apparent change in frequency of a wave due to the motion of the source or of the receiver.
Example: You can hear the Doppler effect when you hear the pitch of a siren as a firetruck or police car passes you on the road. As it approaches you, you hear a higher pitch because the sound wave crests hit you more frequently and as it passes you, the pitch drops because the sound wave crests hit you less frequently.