FEBRUARY 26, 2016

WAVE INTERACTIONS
WHEN WAVES MEET OBJECTS & EACH OTHER

ABDUL WAHAB KHAN

3RD SEMESTER, MSC GEOPHYSICS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENT

PAGE NO

1. WAVES
1.1 TYPE OF WAVES

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1.1.1 MECHANICAL & ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

1.1.2 LONGITUDNAL, TRANSVERSE & SURFACE WAVES

2. WHEN WAVES MEET OBJECTS

2.1 REFLECTION

2.2 DIFFRACTION

2.3 REFRACTION

2.3.1

SNELLS LAW

3. WHEN WAVES MEET WAVES

3.1 CONDITIONS FOR INTERFERENCE

3.2 PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION

3.3 CONSTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE

3.4 DESTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE

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4. REFERENCES

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1. WAVE
A wave is an oscillation accompanied by a transfer of energy
that travels through space or mass. Wave motion transfers energy
from one point to another, which displace particles of the
transmission medium, that is, with little or no associated mass
transport. Waves consist, instead, of oscillations or vibrations (of a
physical quantity), around almost fixed locations.
At the simplest level, waves are a disturbances that propagate
energy through a medium. Propagation of the energy depend on
interactions between the particles that make up the medium.
Particles move as the waves pass through but there is no net
motion of particles. This means, once a wave has passed the
particles return to their original position. As a result, energy, not
matter, is propagated by waves.
The basic properties of a wave are summarized in the figure
below:

FIG 1. The basic properties of a wave

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1.1 TYPES OF WAVE

1.1.1 MECHANICAL WAVES & ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVES
All waves can be
electromagnetic.

categorized as either

mechanical

or

Mechanical waves are waves that require a medium. This

means that they have to have some sort of matter to travel through.
These waves travel when molecules in the medium collide with
each other passing on energy. One example of a mechanical wave
is sound. Sound can travel through air, water, or solids, but it can't
travel through a vacuum. It needs the medium to help it travel.
Other examples include water waves, seismic waves, and waves
traveling through a spring.

FIG 2. Acoustic waves produced by a tuning fork are also

mechanical waves
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Electromagnetic waves are waves that can travel through a

vacuum (empty space). They don't need a medium or matter. They
travel through electrical and magnetic fields that are generated by
charged particles. Examples of electromagnetic waves include
light, microwaves, radio waves, and X-rays.

FIG 3. An artists depiction of Electromagnetic wave

1.1.2 LONGITUDNAL, TRANSVERSE & SURFACE WAVES

Another way to classify waves is by the direction in which its
disturbance is travelling.
Longitudinal waves - Movement of the particles are parallel
to the motion of the energy. Sound waves moving through the air
is an example of this type of wave.

Transverse waves - movement of the particles are at right

angles (perpendicular) to the motion of the energy. Movement of a
wave through a solid object like a stretched rope or a trampoline is
an example of this type of wave.

FIG 4. A comparison of these three way types

Surface waves - particles travel in a circular motion. These
waves occur at interfaces. Examples include waves in the ocean
and ripples in a cup of water. One consequence of occurring at an
interface is that the motion of the particles diminish with distance
from the interface. The further from the interface the smaller the
rotation of the particles until as some distance from the surface,
there is no more movement or energy propagation.
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2. WHEN WAVES MEET OBJECTS

2.1 REFLECTION
The turning back of a wave when it reaches the boundary of the
medium through which it is traveling.

FIG 5. Reflection of a sound wave

All kinds of waves can reflect when they hit a surface. For
example, visible light reflects off of objects it strikes. The reflected
light travels to your eyes, allowing you to see the objects. Echoes
are another example of reflection. If you shout into a large, empty
space, the sound waves reflect off the walls, ceiling, and floor. They
travel back to your ears, producing an echo.

FIG 6. Reflection of water waves when hitting a surface

2.2 DIFFRACTION
The spreading of a wave around a barrier or through an
opening.

FIG 7. Diffraction occurs when waves pass through an opening

or around a corner. The waves bend as they pass the corners.
The amount of diffraction of a wave depends on its wavelength
and the size of the barrier or opening. As wavelength increases,
the degree of diffraction increases.
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Sound waves behave the same way when they pass through a
door. As the waves pass through the door, they bend and travel
into the space near the door. Because they spread out into the space
beyond the door, a person near the doorway can hear sounds from
inside the room.

2.3 REFRACTION
It is the bending of a wave as it passes obliquely from one
medium into another of different propagation speed. Refraction, or
the bending of the path of the waves, is accompanied by a change
in speed and wavelength of the waves. The speed of a wave is
dependent upon the properties of the medium through which the
waves travel. So if the medium (and its properties) is changed, the
speed of the waves is changed.

FIG 8. Refraction of waves as they pass from air into water

2.3.1 SNELLS LAW

The refraction of waves is governed by Snells law. As with any
equation in physics, the Snell's Law equation is valued for its
predictive ability. If any three of the four variables in the equation
are known, the fourth variable can be predicted if appropriate
problem-solving skills are employed.
Snell's law states that the ratio of the sines of the angles of
incidence and refraction is equivalent to the ratio of phase
velocities in the two media, or equivalent to the reciprocal of the
ratio of the indices of refraction:

with each theta as the angle measured from the normal of the
boundary, v as the velocity of light in the respective medium (SI
units are meters per second, or m/s), lambda as the wavelength of
light in the respective medium and n as the refractive index (which
is unitless) of the respective medium.
The law follows from Fermat's principle of least time, which in
turn follows from the propagation of light as waves.
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3. WHEN WAVES MEET WAVES

The interaction of waves with other waves is governed by the
principle of superposition. The result of superposition of two or
more waves is called Interference.

3.1 CONDITIONS FOR INTERFERENCE

The following four conditions must be true in order for an
interference pattern to be observed.
The source must be coherent has a constant phase
relationship
Wavelengths must be the same monochromatic
The Principle of Superposition must apply.

The waves have the same polarization state.

3.2 PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION

The displacement of the medium when two or more waves
pass through it at the same time is the algebraic sum of the
displacements caused by the individual waves.

3.3 CONSTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE

Waves meet crest to crest or trough to trough (for the most
part). Resulting wave is an amplitude higher than the original
waves.
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FIG 9. Constructive interference

3.4 DESTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE

Occurs when waves meet crest to trough. Resulting wave
has lower amplitude than original waves.

FIG 10. Destructive interference

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4. REFERENCES
VanCleave, J. P. (2006). Janice VanCleaves energy for every
kid. Hoboken, N.J.: J. Wiley & Sons.
Wave Behavior, ATEP 2006-2008 UAF Geophysical Institute
Retrieved: 25 February 2016
Waves - Lesson 3 - Behavior of Waves 1996-2016 The
Physics Classroom, All rights reserved. Retrieved: 25
February 2016
scienceprimer.com/types-of-waves Andrew Staroscik
2011-2016 Retrieved: 25 February 2016

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