Section 3 1 The Nature of Waves Wave

Section 3 -1 The Nature of Waves

Wave Energy Wave- any disturbance that transmits energy through matter or empty space Energy can be carried away from its source by a wave However the material through which the wave travels does not move with the energy

Waves and Work Waves do work on everything in its path Movement of objects prove that energy is transmitted

Energy Transfer Through a Medium- a substance through which a wave can travel Medium can be a solid, liquid, or gas Mechanical wave- waves that need a medium to travel Examples: sound wave, ocean waves, and earthquakes

Energy Transfer Without a Medium Some waves do not require a medium to travel Examples: light waves, electromagnetic waves

Types of Waves Transverse wave- wave in which the particles move up and down motions Particles move across or perpendicular to the direction the wave is traveling Transverse waves are made of crests and troughs Longitudinal Waveparticles of the medium vibrates back and forth along the path that the wave moves Longitudinal waves are made of compressions (crowded together) and rarefactions (spaced apart)

Sound Waves Type of longitudinal wave Sound travels along the compressions and rarefactions of air particles

Combinations of Waves Surface wave- a combination of both transverse wave and longitudinal wave Surface waves look like transverse waves but the particles move in circles