Mechanical Waves Mechanical Waves A mechanical wave is

Mechanical Waves

Mechanical Waves A mechanical wave is created when a source of energy causes a vibration to travel through a medium (water, air, soil, etc. )

Parts of a Wave Crest: The highest point of a wave Trough: The lowest point of a wave Wavelength: The distance between two crests

Types of waves There are three types of mechanical waves Transverse Waves Longitudinal Waves Surface Waves

Transverse Waves A transverse wave is a wave the causes the medium to vibrate at right angles to the direction that the wave travels

Longitudinal Waves A longitudinal wave is a wave in which the vibration of the medium is parallel to the direction the wave travels A longitudinal wave utilizes compression and rarefaction

Surface Waves A surface wave is a wave that travels along a surface separating two types of media Example: A wave that travels between land sea

Properties of Mechanical Waves Any motion that repeats at regular intervals is called periodic motion The time required for a complete cycle of a wave is called a period

Properties of Mechanical Waves Any periodic motion has what is called a frequency. This is the amount of cycles within a given time. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz)

Properties cont. The wavelength is the distance between one point on a wave to another

Properties cont. Increasing the frequency of a wave decreases its wavelength

Wave Speed To calculate the speed of waves you take the wavelength and multiply it by the frequency Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength

Amplitude of a wave is the maximum displacement from the resting point The more energy a wave has, the greater its amplitude

Amplitude