The Waves Halftime Show

The Waves Halftime Show

Types & Properties of Waves

What are waves?

• A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another

• Waves transfer energy but they do NOT transfer matter

Ways to transfer energy

• As a Transverse wave - particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction of the energy of the wave

• As a Longitudinal wave - particles move in the same direction as the energy of the wave

• As a surface wave - a combination of a transverse and longitudinal wave

Types of waves

• Mechanical - Waves that disturb matter require a medium

• Electromagnetic - Waves that disturb an electric and magnetic field. They do NOT require a medium to transfer energy. All EM waves travel at light speed (186,000 meters per second) in a vacuum.

Properties of waves

• Crest

• Trough

• Wavelength

• Amplitude

• Frequency

• Wave period

• Wave speed

Crest

The highest point of a wave

Trough

The lowest point of a wave

Wavelength

The distance over which the wave repeats. This is measured by the distance from one point on a wave to the next identical point later in the wave.

Amplitude

A measure of how far particles in the medium move away from their normal rest position.

Frequency

How many cycles of a wave occur in a given amount of time.  This property is measured in a unit of measurement called hertz (Hz), with one hertz (1Hz) being equal to one cycle per second.

Amplitude & Frequency in Sound Waves

When it comes to sound waves, humans detect a change in amplitude as a change in volume. Changes in frequency are detected as a change in the pitch of the sound.

Amplitude & Frequency in Light waves

With light waves, a change of frequency is seen as a change in color. A difference in amplitude is detected as a change in the brightness of the color of the wave.

Wave Period

This is the amount of time it takes for one wavelength or wave cycle to pass.

Wave speed

The speed at which a wave travels, called wave speed, depends on the properties of the medium. To calculate wave speed, you would multiply the frequency of the wave by its wavelength. The speed of waves depend on many factors, among them are the state of matter of the substance and the density of the substance.

Multiple Choice

What is transferred from place to place by waves?

• matter

• energy

• particles

• waves

Multiple Choice

What is a wavelength?

• How many waves pass a certain point

• The distance from one wave crest to another

• The entire length of a wave

Multiple Choice

A wave that can travel through matter and empty space is a:

• electromagnetic wave

• longitudinal wavy

• transverse wave

Multiple Choice

What kind of wave is pictured?

• Transverse
• Longitudinal
• surface
• none of the above

Multiple Choice

In longitudinal waves, the parts where the coils are spread apart are called what?

• rarefactions
• compressions
• mechanicals
• longitudes

Multiple Choice

Any material that a wave travels through is called a ____________________.

• vibration
• compression
• medium
• crest

Multiple Choice

You can't hear sounds in outer space because there is no

• medium

• light

• energy

• heat

Multiple Choice

What kind of wave is pictured below?

• compressional wave
• transverse wave
• sound wave
• mechanical wave

Multiple Choice

Transverse waves are ___.

• Parallel
• Perpendicular
• Weird

Multiple Choice

Longitudinal waves are ______.

• Parallel
• Perpendicular
• Crazy

Multiple Choice

What does this picture represent?

• wavelength

• echolocation

• amplitude

• peak

Multiple Choice

How would a person measure the wavelength on this sound wave?

• dense to less dense
• trough to crest
• compression to compression
• beginning of illustration to the end

Multiple Choice

Which transverse wave has the highest frequency?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

Which wave in the diagram has the greatest wavelength?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Multiple Choice

Which wave in the diagram has the greatest frequency?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Multiple Choice

What happens when you increase the amplitude of a sound?

• it makes the sound louder
• it makes the sound travel faster
• it increases the wavelength of the sound
• it increases the frequency of the sound