Fundamentals of Waves

​5.1 Fundamentals of Waves

Nor Azman bin Tamit​

​Learning Objectives

i. Students can explain what is waves.

ii. Students can name the two types of waves and make comparisons between them.

iii. Students can state what is amplitude, period, frequency, wavelength and wave speed.

iv. Students can draw both displacement-time graph and displacement-distance graph and extract the information from the graphs.

v. Students can calculate wavelength, frequency and wave speed.

​What is wave?

How waves are produced?​

​

​Transverse wave vs Longitudinal wave

Open Ended

What are the two types of waves for progressive waves?

What are two differences between them?

What are the similarities, if any?

Amplitude, A = maximum displacement from still position​

Period, T = time taken for one complete oscillation

Frequency, f = number of complete oscillation in one second

Wavelength, λ = distance between two consecutive crest/trough

Wave speed, v = rate of distance travelled by waves​

​

Match

Match the following.

• Amplitude

• Period

• Frequency

• Wavelength

• Wave speed

maximum displacement from its equilibrium position

time taken for one complete oscillation

number of oscillation per unit of time

distance between two consecutive points in phase

distance travelled by wave in one second

• maximum displacement from its equilibrium position

• time taken for one complete oscillation

• number of oscillation per unit of time

• distance between two consecutive points in phase

• distance travelled by wave in one second

f = 1/T​

f = 1 / 2 s = 0.5 s^-1

v = λ​f

v = (10 cm)(0.5 s^-1)

​v = 5 cm s^-1

​

​v = λf

λ = 10 cm, T = 2 s

v = λ​/T

v = 10 cm / 2 s

v = 5 cm s^-1​

​v = λ/T

​Formula for wave speed, v?

1 Hz = 1 s^-1​

​Do Activity 5.5

(page 180)​

​Do Activity 5.6

(page 181)​

​Solution for Question 5

(page 226)

(a) Amplitude, A = 15 cm = 0.15 m

​Period, T = 1/f = 1 / 5 s^-1 = 0.2 s

Wavelength, λ = 1.2 m ÷​ 2 = 0.6 m

​

(b) v = λ​f

v = (0.6 m)​(5 s^-1)

v = 3 m s^-1​

Open Ended

Answer question 7. You can type your solution here OR write down the solution on a paper and upload the image.