1. Wave Calculations

2. There are different physical parts of a wave. Amplitude, Crest, Trough, Wave Length

3. Wave Speed But what if I want to know how long it takes for a wave to travel or how many waves go by in a second? Do I have to stand there and count waves? Answer: NOPE! We can use math.

4. Period Period is how long it takes for one wave length to pass by or one full rotation of a particle. Period is represented by the symbol “T”. It is measured in seconds.

5. Frequency Frequency is how many waves can pass by in a given time frame. (How rapidly the vibrations occur). The symbol for Frequency is: It is measured in hertz (Hz). 1 Hz is 1 wave per second.

6. Frequency and Period Equation The more waves per second the faster each wave is traveling. That means Frequency and the Period are related. Frequency = 1/Period Written as symbols:

7. Wave Speed You already know the formula for speed: So lets apply that to waves: – Wave speed = wave length / Period – In symbols:

8. Wave Speed But there is another way…. Since the frequency is 1/T I can multiply the wave length times the frequency. Wave speed = In symbols:

9. The Medium Matters The speed of a wave depends upon the medium it is traveling through. State of the medium, the type of medium and the temperature of the medium all matter.

10. The Type of Wave Matters The type of wave also determines the speed. Electromagnetic waves do not need a medium. All electromagnetic waves travel through a vacuum at c = 2.99792458 x 10 8 m/s. Put them in a medium and they get bounced around.

11. Doppler Effect How a wave sounds (pitch) depends upon the frequency. Meaning the more waves pass by in a second the higher the pitch. This can be created by the Doppler effect.