ENERGY IN

MOTION
What is she doing?

Vibration
What is this?
How about this?
WHAT IS A WAVE?
A wave is a means of transferring energy from one place to
another
can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium,
transporting energy from one location to another location.
The medium is simply the material through which the
disturbance is moving; it can be thought of as a series of
interacting particles.
 Sound
EXAMPLES
Light
OF
WAVES
Water
Radio
Seismic
PARTS OF THE
WAVE
 CREST
The crest is the highest point on a
wave.
 TROUGH
Valley between two waves, is the lowest
point.
Lowest point
 WAVELENGTH (Λ)
The horizontal distance, either
between the crests or troughs of
two consecutive waves.
WAVE..........

The wavelength of a wave is the distance from one

point on the wave to the corresponding point on the
next cycle.
 AMPLITUDE
- The peak (greatest)
value (either positive or
negative) of a wave.
The distance from the
equalibrium (rest point)
to the trough or crest.
WAVE HEIGHT
A vertical
distance between
a wave's crest
and the next
trough.
TYPES OF
WAVES
 WAVE TYPES
Mechanical Electromagnetic
e.g. Water waves, waves on a e.g. Radio, X-Rays, Light
rope, sound

Must have a substance to Does not need a substance to

travel through travel through but can travel
through various substances

Cannot travel in a vacuum Can travel in a vacuum

Vibrations passed on from Travel at very fast speed in a

molecule to molecule vacuum: 3 × 108 m/s
 Waves

Mechanical Electromagnetic

Transverse longitudinal Surface Radiowaves

Microwaves

Infrared

Visible light

Ultraviolet rays

xray

Gamma Rays
 MECHANICAL WAVES
Waves that use matter to transfer
energy:
Travel through air, as well as solids,
liquids and other gases.
No matter, no wave…..like in outer
space.
 TRAVELLING WAVES
 Waves that travel from

one place to another

 e.g. Waves on rope
 e.g Waves on water
 e.g. compression
waves on spring
TRANSVE A transverse wave is a wave
which the direction of vibration is
RSE perpendicular to the direction of
WAVES propagation.
 Longitudinal Waves
LONGITU  A longitudinal wave is one in
DINAL which the direction of vibration is
WAVES parallel to the direction of
propagation.
TYPES OF WAVES
  The motion of water molecules on
the surface of deep water in which
SURFACE a wave is propagating is a
WAVES combination of transverse and
longitudinal displacements, with
the result that molecules at the
surface move in nearly circular
paths.
 ELECTROMAGNETIC
WAVES
 Electromagnetic waves or EM waves are waves that are
created as a result of vibrations between an electric field and
a magnetic field.
 In other words, EM waves are composed of oscillating
magnetic and electric fields.
 Doesn’t need a medium for it to travel
 HOW THEY ARE FORMED?
 Electromagnetic waves are formed
when an electric field comes in contact
with a magnetic field. They are hence
known as ‘electromagnetic’ waves.
 The electric field and magnetic field of
an electromagnetic wave are
perpendicular (at right angles) to each
other.
 They are also perpendicular to the
direction of the EM wave.
ELECTROMAGNETIC
SPECTRUM

The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of

EM radiation.
WAVE
CHARACTERISTIC
S
 FREQUENCY (F )
Is the number of
complete waves or
cycles of oscillation
in a given period of
time
Measured is hertz
PERIOD
T is the time taken to generate one
complete wave.
It is also the time taken for the crests or
any given point on the wave to move a
distance of one wavelength
Measured in seconds
 
𝑇 =1/ 𝑓
WAVE SPEED
A measure of how fast a wave is moving.
v of the wave is the distance moved by a wave
in one second. Since the wave crest travels a
distance of one wavelength in one period, the
wave speed;

v = /T or v = f 
 SYMBOLS AND UNITS
Variable Symbol Unit Symbol
for Unit

Frequency f Hertz Hz

Wavelength  metre m
(“lamda”)
Velocity v metre/second m/s
(or c for light)

Time T second s
PROBLEM
SOLVING
Sample Problem 1) A wave has frequency of 50
Hz and a wavelength of 10 m. What is the speed
of the wave?
Given: Solution:
f= 50 Hz
 = 10 m
v =f
What is asked? = (50 Hz) (10 m)
Speed= ? = 500 m/s
Formula:
v =f
Sample Problem 2) A wave has frequency of 5
Hz and a speed of 25 m/s. What is the
wavelength of the wave?
 
Given: Solution:
f= 5 Hz
v = 25 m/s
 = v /f
What is asked?
wavelength= ? 5m
Formula:
v =f;
 = v/f
Sample Problem 3) A wave has wavelength of 10
m and a speed of 340 m/s. What is the frequency
of the wave?
 
Given: Solution:
 = 10 m
v = 340 m/s
f = v /
What is asked?
Frequency= ? 34 Hz
Formula:
v =f;
f = v/ 