Chapter - 14
Waves
Waves:
A wave is a disturbance in a medium that carries energy without a net
movement of particles. It may take the form of elastic deformation, a
variation of pressure, electric or magnetic intensity, electric potential, or
temperature.
Introduction to waves:
Transfers energy.
Usually involves a periodic, repetitive movement.
Does not result in a net movement of the medium or particles in the
medium (mechanical wave).
BEATS:
beats are a
phenomenon that occurs when two sound
waves with similar frequencies overlap.
Types of Waves:
The types of waves are given below.
Transverse Waves
Waves in which the medium moves at right angles to the direction
of the wave.
Examples of transverse waves:
Water waves (ripples of gravity waves, not sound through water)
Light waves
S-wave earthquake waves
Stringed instruments
Torsion wave
The high point of a transverse wave is a crest. The low part is a
trough.
Longitudinal Wave:
A longitudinal wave has the movement of the particles in the
medium in the same dimension as the direction of movement of
the wave.
Examples of longitudinal waves:
Sound waves
P-type earthquake waves
Compression wave
Parts of longitudinal waves:
Compression: where the particles are close together.
Rarefaction: where the particles are spread apart.
Mechanical waves:
A wave which needs a medium in order to propagate itself. Sound
waves, waves in a slinky, and water waves are all examples of
this.
Matter Waves:
Any moving object can be described as a wave When a stone is
dropped into a pond, the water is disturbed from its equilibrium
positions as the wave passes; it returns to its equilibrium position
after the wave has passed.
Electromagnetic Waves:
These waves are disturbance that does not need any object
medium for propagation and can easily travel through the vacuum.
They are produced due to various magnetic and electric fields. The
periodic changes that take place in magnetic and electric fields
and therefore known as electromagnetic waves.
Wave Speed Formula
It is the total distance covered by the wave in a given time period. The
formula for wave speed is given as,
Wave Speed = Distance Covered/Time taken
Properties of Waves
The prime properties of waves are as follows:
Amplitude – Wave is an energy transport phenomenon. Amplitude is the
height of the wave, usually measured in metres. It is directly related to the
amount of energy carried by a wave.
Wavelength – The distance between identical points in the adjacent cycles of
crests of a wave is called a wavelength. It is also measured in metres.
Period – The period of a wave is the time for a particle on a medium to make
one complete vibrational cycle. As the period is time, hence is measured in
units of time such as seconds or minutes.
Frequency – Frequency of a wave is the number of waves passing a point in
a certain time. The unit of frequency is hertz (Hz) which is equal to one wave
per second.
The period is the reciprocal of the frequency and vice versa.
Period=1Frequency
OR
Frequency=1Period
Speed – The speed of an object means how fast an object moves and is
usually expressed as the distance travelled per time of travel. The speed of a
wave refers to the distance travelled by a given point on the wave (crest) in a
given interval of time. That is –
Speed=DistanceTime
Speed of a wave is thus measured in metre/second i.e. m/s.