1. Waves
Wave- a disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space.
- particles of matter don’t move along with wave.
Medium- substance or region through which a wave is transmitted.
exception to rule- light can be transmitted through a vacuum.

2. Types of Waves
Mechanical -A mechanical or material wave is a wave that needs a medium to travel
Electromagnetic-a wave propagated through space or matter by oscillating electric and magnetic fields: in a vacuum it travels at the speed of light

5. Wave Motion
simple harmonic motion - the back and forth motion of an object.
Waves can interfere with one another.
Constructive interference - waves overlap crest to crest and the result is an increased amplitude.
Destructive interference - waves overlap crest to trough canceling the effects of the wave.

10. Medium Properties
Speed of wave can be affected by two properties of medium:
1)density- more dense the medium, the slower the speed of the wave.
2) elasticity- ability of medium to return to original shape. More elastic medium transmits waves faster.

11. Characteristics of Waves
Crest
Amplitude
Trough
Wavelength
Frequency
Period
Time period and frequency are the inverses of each other.

12. A Wave

13. Wave Characteristics Crest - high points of a wave
Trough - low points of a wave
Amplitude- maximum displacement from rest position.
Wavelength- distance between two consecutive crests.
Frequency-number of complete waves passing a point during a certain time.
-measured in Hertz (#waves/sec)
Period - time for one wave or one back and forth swing (cycle)

14. Standing Waves
Standing waves are produced by waves that reflect upon themselves. Like a rope attached to a wall. Waves can reflect in phase or out of phase.
Nodes are stationary points in a standing wave.
Antinodes are areas of the greatest amplitude in a standing wave.