Waves Project

Wave Characteristics

Wave: A disturbance (oscillation) that transfers energy

Types of Waves

• Mechanical Wave: A wave that requires a medium in order to transport energy.
• Electromagnetic Wave: A wave that is capable of transporting energy through a vacuum.

In a transverse wave, the particles of the medium move perpendicular to the movement of the wave, while particles move parallel to the wave in a longitudinal wave.

Transverse Wave

Click on icon for the picture of transverse wave (interactive element)

Others

• Wave Length: Distance between two corresponding points of two consecutive waves.
• Frequency: How often particles of the medium vibrate when a wave passes through a medium.
• Wave Speed Equation: speed = wavelength/period or speed = wavelength * frequency

" Physics Tutorial: Vibrations And Waves ". Physicsclassroom.Com, 2021, https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves. Accessed 12 May 2021.

Sound

Sound is a wave created by vibrating objects and is transported through a medium from the source to its surroundings.

Sound Waves

• Reflection: can lead to echos/reverberation; during transportation, part of the wave will reflect (bounce off); different material will affect amount reflected
• Diffraction: a change in direction of waves as it passes through an opening/around a barrier in their path; amount of diffraction is directly proportional to wavelength

Mediums

Different mediums can affect the speed of sound. For example, mediums that are more elastic can maintain its shape better, allowing its atoms to have stronger interactions with each other. Therefore, sound waves travel faster in items with a high elasticity. Density is an inertial property. The greater the density, the less particle interactions it will have, resulting in a slower speed. Thus, sound waves will travel faster in less dense materials. Sound in the air is affected by the temperature, or humidity. The temperature will affect the strength of the particle interactions of the water vapor in the air.

Doppler Effect

The Doppler Effect is the change in frequency as the source and surrounding object either move to or away from each other. An example is the sound of the train whistle. As the train gets closer, the whistle's sound becomes louder, while the sound decreases as the train moves away.

" Physics Tutorial: Sound Waves And The Physics Of Music ". Physicsclassroom.Com, 2021, https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/sound. Accessed 12 May 2021.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Speed in a Vacuum

The speed of EM waves in a vauum is equal to the speed of light, which is 3.0 * 10E8 m/s.

EM Wave Frequency Range/Use

• Radio: < 3*10E11; radios, television, cell phones
• Microwave: 3*10E11 – 10E13; microwaves, transmissions
• Infrared: 10E13 – 10E14; lamps, remote controls
• Visible Light: 4 – 7.5*10E14; what we can see, lightbulbs
• Ultra-violet: 10E15 – 10E17; fluorescent tubes

• X-ray: 10E17 – 10E20; screening of bones of body
• Gamma Ray: 10E20 – 10E24; nuclear industry

Pictures

"Electromagnetic Waves". Electron6.Phys.Utk.Edu, 2021, http://electron6.phys.utk.edu/optics421/modules/m1/emwaves.htm. Accessed 15 May 2021. " GDPR ". Byjus.Com, 2021, https://byjus.com/jee/electromagnetic-spectrum-and-electromagnetic-waves/. Accessed 15 May 2021. "Electromagnetic Waves - Different Waves, Different Wavelengths". Univie.Ac.At, 2021, https://www.univie.ac.at/geographie/fachdidaktik/FD/site/external_htmls/imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/ems/waves3.html. Accessed 15 May 2021.