3. A wave is a traveling disturbance
that carries energy from one
place to another
4. Basically waves are made by
something moving:
• Sound: Something vibrates and passes the
vibration on.
• Light: An electron jumps from one shell to
another (rapidly!)
• Ocean: The wind moves the water, (or
anything else you can think of)
5. Waves can either travel through:
• Nothing (space, vacuum) ….Light can
do this
• or Something: (solids, liquids, gases)
…
– Whatever the wave travels through is
known as the medium
6. WAVES
wavelength crest
amplitude
resting
position
trough
How often a crest hits you per second is the
wave’s frequency
7. Units of measure:
• Amplitude (A) and wavelength (λ) are
distances. Measure in cm, m, etc.
• Frequency (f) is # of waves/second.
• Frequency is measured in Hertz (ouch)
8. Transverse waves
• “snakey” waves
• these are the types of waves most people
think of
• “perfect” water waves are transverse
• The disturbance is at a right angle to the
wave’s direction of travel
9. Longitudinal Waves
• “squeeze” waves
• “compressional” waves
• The compressions of the medium get passed
along
• Example: sound (think of a speaker that is
“pumping”)
10. Slinky: Do these and show teacher the
outcomes and take notes
• Make a transverse wave.
• Make a longitudinal wave
• Using a transverse wave do these:
– How do you make the wave have bigger
amplitude?
- How do you make the wave have a
different wavelength?
-How do you get the wave to travel slower
or faster?
11. Combined Waves
• Things usually don’t fit in perfect categories
• Many waves are a combination of
transverse and longitudinal
