Waves

A wave is a transfer of energy caused by a disturbance. Waves can take many shapes and forms, as we see in the posts below. Thank you for checking out my project, and have a nice day.

Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction

Reflection occurs when waves bounce off an object at the same angle that they hit it from.

Source: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/waves/u10l3b.cfm

Refraction occurs when a wave bends, causing a change in speed.

Source: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/waves/u10l3b.cfm

Dfifraction occurs when a wave bends around a barrier.

Source: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/waves/u10l3b.cfm

Sound Waves

Sound waves are a type of Longitudinal Wave that requires a medium to travel. (A mechanical wave) Sound waves have two defining qualities, loudness and pitch. Loudness is measured in Decibels. (dB)

Pitch is directly dependent on frequency. The higher the frequency is, the higher the sound wave’s pitch is. The lower the frequency, the lower the sound wave’s pitch is. The pitch of the sound also changes with distance. The closer something is to you, the higher the pitch, and vice-versa. This is called the Doppler Effect.

Sound Waves are effected by certain variables in their environment. These are Elasticity, Density, and Temperature. The greater the elasticity, the faster Sound Travels. The more dense a medium is, the slower sound travels. The greater the temperature, the greater the speed of sound, and vice-versa.

Trivia
* Chuck Yeager was the first person to beat the speed of sound.

Transverse Waves

A transverse wave is a moving wave. It consists of crests (the highest points in the wave) and troughs (the lowest point). In a transverse wave, as the wave is moving in one direction, it is creating a disturbance in a different direction. (http://cnx.org/content/m12378/latest/) This type of wave is drawn like a squiggly line. The below diagram shows this motion.

Source:http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/tralon.html

Longitudinal Waves

A longitudinal wave is a mechanical wave. (meaning it requires a medium to travel.) These waves consist of “compressions,” and “rarefactions.” Compressions are areas where the where the waves are closer together, rarefactions are where they are farther apart. The illustration below allows you to visualize it.

Source: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/%E2%80%8Chbase/sound/tralon.html

Some examples of longitudinal waves include: Sound Waves and Radio Waves.

Electromagnetic Waves

Electromagnetic waves are waves that consist of an electric and magnetic field.  These waves’ frequencies determine their type. Electromagnetic waves are put into different categories based on their wavelength. These are: (In order from longest to shortest in wavelength.) Radio, Microwave, Infrared, Visible Light, X-Rays, and Gamma Rays. The below illustration shows this concept.

Source: http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/waves3.html