Wave Properties Chapter 10.2

Parts of a Wave Transverse waves Compressional Waves Crest- highest point of the wave Trough- lowest point Compressional Waves Compressions: regions where waves are crowded close together Rarefaction: regions where waves are less dense

Wavelength Distance between one point on a wave and the nearest point just like it Crest  crest Trough trough Compression  compression Rarefaction  rarefaction

Frequency Number of wavelengths that pass a certain point in period of time Units: Hertz (Hz)= 1/s (one per second) Period The amount of time it takes one wavelength to pass a point Units: seconds (s) Period is inversely proportional to the frequency

Practice Problem 1 100 waves pass a dock in 10 seconds. What is the frequency of the wave? f = number of waves/second = 100/10= 10 Hz What is the period of the wave? period= time for one wave = 10/100= 0.1 seconds

Wavelength is inversely proportional to Frequency

Wave Speed Depends on: Type of wave Temperature of material Sound waves travel faster through solids and liquids Light waves travel faster through space Temperature of material Higher temperatures, higher speeds

Calculating Wave Speed V (speed in m/s) = f(frequency in Hz) x λ(wavelength in m)

Practice Calculation 2 What is the speed of a sound wave that has a wavelength of 2.00 m and a frequency of 170.5 Hz? V= f λ = 170.5 * 2 = 341 m/s

Amplitude and Energy Amplitude (intensity) is directly proportional to the energy of the wave Transverse: distance from midpoint to crest or trough Compressional: how tightly the medium is pushed together at compressions