Waves Opening scene from Billabong Odyssey Wave Properties

Waves

Opening scene from: Billabong Odyssey

Wave Properties • Wave – A rhythmic disturbance that carries energy through matter or space. • Pulse – Single ‘bump’ / disturbance that travels through medium. • Medium – matter (or lack thereof) through which waves travel.

Transverse Waves • Wave that vibrates medium perpendicular to direction of wave motion.

Longitudinal Wave • Wave that vibrates medium parallel to direction of wave motion. Sound Molecules resonating in a closed pipe

Combination Waves Water waves are a combination of transverse and longitudinal.

Great Men Who Lived Among Waves Eddie Aikau Duke Kahanamoku

Measuring a Wave • Amplitude • Period • Frequency • Wavelength • Velocity

Waves at Boundaries Incident Wave Motion Before After Wave Motion Reflected Wave Motion Transmitted Wave

Waves at Boundaries • From Low Density to High Density Reflected ‘Inverted’, Transmitted ‘Upright’ Animations courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

Waves at Boundaries • From High Density to Low Density Reflected ‘Upright’, Transmitted ‘Upright’

Superposition of Waves • Superposition: When 2 waves cross paths. • Principle of Superposition: When 2 waves meet, the new wave formed is the sum of the two incident waves. • Interference: the result of wave superposition. Wave Interference Animations • Link to Superposition animation

• 2 waves of same frequency, same direction, different speeds. • Varying constructive and destructive interference • 2 waves of same frequency, different direction, same speeds. • Result is a standing wave (note what’s called the node and anti-node) • 2 waves of slightly different frequency, same direction, same speeds. • Result is known as ‘beat’ oscillation.

Standing Waves • Standing waves occur when 2 waves of identical frequency and speed interfere with one another while travelling in opposite directions. Node: Point on a wave that doesn’t move. Anti-Node: Point on wave that moves the most.