Handout Completes Objective from Physics Syllabus

Types of Waves

1.1 differentiate between types of waves

1.2 recall the meaning of speed, frequency, wave length, period,
amplitude, phase, and solve problems involving
1.3 represent transverse and longitudinal waves in displacement –
position and displacement- time graphs
1.4 extract information about wave parameters from graphs
representing waves

What are waves?

Waves transfer energy from one point to another without transferring

matter. They consist of disturbances which transfer the energy in the
direction the wave travels without transferring matter.

There are two types of waves:

 Transverse waves
 Longitudinal waves

Transverse Waves

Transverse waves are wave in which the vibrations of the particles or

medium in which the wave travels are at right angles to the direction in
which the wave travels.

Water waves are an example of transverse waves. These can be observed

in a ripple tank. The animation below shows transverse waves created in
a ripple tank.
The diagram above gives a side view of transverse water wave.
Transverse waves consist of high parts or peaks called crests and low
parts called troughs.

The distance between two successive crests or two successive troughs

is the wavelength for a transverse wave.

The height of the crest from the undisturbed water position or the
depth of the trough from the undisturbed water position is
the amplitude of the wave.

Longitudinal Waves

Longitudinal waves are wave in which the vibrations of the particles

or medium in which the wave travels in the same direction as to that
in which the wave travels.

Sound waves are an example of longitudinal waves.

Amplitude and Wavelength – Longitudinal Waves

The diagram above shows the side view of a sound wave. A sound wave
is a longitudinal wave. It is made up of regions where the air molecules
are close together and have a higher particle density known
as compressions and of regions where the air molecules are farther apart
and have a low particle density called rarefactions. In a sound wave the
region of compression is at a slightly higher pressure due to the air
molecules being pushed together whereas the region of rarefaction is at a
slightly lower pressure as the air molecules are farther apart.

The wavelength of a longitudinal wave is the distance between

successive compressions or the distance between successive
rarefactions.

Pulses

A pulse is a short- lived or single wave motion

Wavetrains
A wavetrain is a continuous group of waves with features which repeat
regularly.

The Wave Parameters and Equations

1. Amplitude

2. Wavelength

3. Time period

4. Frequency

5. Wavespeed

The amplitude (A)is the maximum displacement the vibrating

particle travels from its undisturbed (equilibrium) position.

The wavelength of a wave(λ) is the distance between successive

compressions / rarefactions or the distance between two
successive crests or two successive troughs.Wavelength may also
be defined as the distance between any two successive points that
are in phase.

ThePeriod(T) of a wave is the time taken for one complete

oscillation.

The frequency(f) of a wave is a measure of the number of waves

made by a source each second, or the number of waves that pass
through a particular point in the medium each second. Frequency is
measured in units called Hertz (Hz) which is the number of number of
wave cycles per second.
 1
f=
T

The speed of a wave/wavespeed (v)is the distance travelled in one

second.

This is the equation which relates wave speed, frequency and

wavelength.