Three Types of Mechanical Waves

Three Types of
Mechanical Waves

•Waves are classified according
to how they travel through a
medium.
•Transverse Waves (A)
•Longitudinal Waves (B)
•Surface Waves (C)

A

B

C

Multiple Choice

What is a medium?

• the matter through which a mechanical wave travels

• two lines that will never touch

• the particles of a medium that travel parallel to a wave

• two lines that meet at a right angle

Multiple Choice

What type of wave is this?

• Transverse

• Longitudinal

• Surface

• Hair wave

Multiple Choice

What type of wave is this?

• Transverse

• Longitudinal

• Surface

• Hair wave

Multiple Choice

What type of wave is this?

• Transverse

• Longitudinal

• Surface

• Hair wave

Transverse Waves

•Waves that move the medium
at right angles to the direction
the waves are traveling.
•Transverse means “across”
•As a transverse wave moves in
one direction, the particles of
the medium move
perpendicular to the direction of
the wave, or across it.

Properties of Waves

Direction of wave

Direction of

medium

Right
Angle

Multiple Choice

What kind of wave is pictured below?

• compressional wave

• transverse wave

• sound wave

• mechanical wave

Multiple Choice

What are waves used for?

• Transferring Energy

• Storing Energy

• Moving Objects

• Removing Energy

Multiple Choice

In a transverse wave, how do the particles move?

• They don't move

• Sideways

• Up and down

• In a square

Longitudinal Waves
•The medium moves parallel to
the direction the waves are
traveling.
•The medium moves back-and-
forth in the same direction as
the wave travels.
•Compression – Particles are
close together.
•Rarefaction – Particles are
spread out.

Properties of Waves

Direction of wave

Direction of medium

Compression

Rarefaction

Multiple Choice

A wave in which the wave’s medium is compressed in the same direction as the movement of the wave

• Transversal wave

• Transverse wave

• Frequency wave

• Longitudinal wave

Multiple Choice

What kind of wave is pictured?

• Transverse

• Longitudinal

• surface

• none of the above

Multiple Choice

A longitudinal wave is also known as a __________

• Constitutional

• Conditional

• Confessional

• Compressional

Surface Waves
•Occur at the surface between two
media, such as water and air.
•The water moves up and down like
transverse waves.
•The water also moves back and forth
like longitudinal waves, however,
water does not compress.
•This up and down, back and forth
movement combines to make each
water particle move in a circle.

Properties of Waves

​Surface Waves

Multiple Choice

What is the resulting direction of a surface wave?

• parallel

• circular

• opposite

• perpendicular

Multiple Choice

Which is true about a surface wave?

• It only has properties of transverse waves.

• It only has properties of longitudinal waves.

• has neither properties of transverse or longitudinal waves.

• It has properties of both transverse and longitudinal waves.

Multiple Choice

What does a wave carry from place to place?

• energy

• matter

• people