Wave Interactions

Wave

A disturbance that goes through matter or space, carrying energy.

If a wave has a large amplitude then it has...

A large amount of energy

If a wave has a large frequency then it has...

A large amount of energy and short wavelength

What do some waves need to travel

A medium

What happens during resonance

A vibrating object causes another object to vibrate. The resonating object absorbs energy from the vibrating object, so it vibrates too.

Standing wave

A wave at its highest or lowest point that appears to be stationary.

What kind of waves can be reflected

All waves can be reflected

Why do reflected waves start to lose energy

Because they are using it to travel

Parts of a Longitudinal Compression Wave

Compression - The area where energy is present (where the wave is compressed) Rarefaction - The area where energy is not present (where the wave is separated) Amplitude - Strength or energy of a wave Wavelength - From compression to compression, or rarefaction to rarefaction Wave direction - The direction the wave travels in

The compressions and rarefactions are like what in a transverse wave

Compressions are like crests and rarefactions are like troughs

Parts of a Transverse Wave

Crest - Top of the wave Trough - Bottom of a wave Amplitude - Strength or energy of a wave Wavelength - From crest to crest, or trough to trough Wave direction line - The direction that the wave travels in

Total destructive interference

Destructive interference in which the waves completely cancel each other out.

The equation for wave speed

Distance divided by time

waves that don't require a medium

Electromagnetic waves

A wave direction line is also known as a...

Equilibrium Position

Since waves are energy, not matter, they can

Exist in the same space in the same time. Also, when waves meet, they combine, or overlap, which is known as interference

What type of wave is a lightwave

It is a transverse wave, but it is also a electromagnetic wave

As a wave travels it uses energy to do what

It uses energy to do work on everything in its path

Mirror images

Light waves will create mirror images. Mirror images show the opposite image of what is reflecting off of it.

Electromagnetic wave example

Light waves, radio waves, X-ray waves, and tv signals

Refraction of Light

Lightwaves will slow down when they travel through a low density medium to a high density medium.

If a sound wave is a longitudinal compression wave then it is also a...

Mechanical wave

The equation for frequency

Number of waves divided by time

Types of wave interactions

Reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, and transmitted.

Most of the time waves travel in

Straight lines, but sometimes they curve or bend around objects which is known as diffraction

Example of resonance

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed, partly due to the fact that the bridge was resonating and absorbing energy from the high winds around it, which caused it to have a large amplitude. One day a cable snapped and the bridge began to twist, which caused the bridges amplitude to increase, and finally the amplitude became so big it collapsed.

Diffraction

The bending of light waves around a barrier, such as a wall, as they travel from one place to another.

Refraction

The bending of lightwaves as they travel through different density media.

destructive interference

The interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude

Amplitude

The maximum distance a wave vibrates from its rest position

Transmitted

The movement of waves through clear objects.

Frequency

The number of waves created in a certain amount of time

How do particles in a transverse wave move

The particles move perpendicular to the direction that the wave is traveling

How do the particles in a surface wave vibrate

The particles of the medium of a wave move in circles. At each crest they move forward and at each trough they move backwards.

The diffraction of waves (how they diffract)

The smaller the opening for the wave to go through, the larger the spreading out of the wave will be. The larger the opening, the smaller the spreading of the wave will be.

Wave speed

The speed at which a wave travels/the distance a wave travels in a certain amount of time

Hertz

The unit of measure for frequency. 1 Hz = 1 wave per second

What do waves carry

They carry energy, not matter

Two kinds of mechanical waves

Transverse waves and longitudinal compression waves

Wave Interactions

Waves interact with matter in several ways. The interactions occur when waves pass from one medium to another.

Transverse and longitudinal waves can combine to make a surface wave when

Waves occur at or near the boundary between two media.

How are surface waves formed

When a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave combine

Resonance

When a vibrating object causes another object to vibrate.

Reflection

When waves bounce off of objects.

Interference

When waves smash into each other and either stop or combine to form a bigger wave.

two types of interference

constructive and destructive

Two kinds of waves

mechanical and electromagnetic

waves that require a medium

mechanical waves

constructive interference

when two waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude