Waves

disturbances
(but in a good way! Mostly )
Definition

Waves are
disturbances that
transfer energy!
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Types of Waves
Mechanical Waves
• A mechanical wave is a
disturbance that propagates
through a medium.
• A medium is any material
(matter) through which a wave
travels.
Mechanical wave examples:
sound; water waves; a pulse
traveling on a spring;
earthquakes; a “people wave”
in a football stadium.
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Electromagnetic Waves
• An electromagnetic wave is
simply light of a visible or
invisible wavelength.
• Oscillating intertwined
electric and magnetic fields
comprise light.
• Light can travel without a
medium—super, duper fast.
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Types of Mechanical Waves
Longitudinal Transverse

Particle motion moves Particle motion moves parallel

perpendicular to the direction to wave propagation
of wave propagation (wave motion)
(wave motion)
Examples: Examples:
Sound Waves Light waves
Seismic waves that travel through the Seismic waves that travel on the surface
earth of the earth

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Types of Waves

Use your slinky to model

longitudinal and transverse
waves

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Wave Characteristics

Wave
Cycle
Wave cycle
Oscillation

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Wave Characteristics
• Amplitude (A) – Maximum displacement of
particle of the medium from its
equilibrium point. The bigger the
amplitude, the more energy the wave
carries.

(In the case of sound Large Amplitude = LOUD)

(In the case of a radio wave
Large Amplitude = great signal strength!)
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 Wave Characteristics
Period and frequency

• Period (T) – time required for

1 complete wave cycle
(measured in seconds).
• Frequency (f) - The number
of cycles passing by in a
given time. The SI unit for
frequency is the Hertz (Hz),
T = 1/f
which is one cycle per
second.
(the number of waves that occur in 1 second)
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Period-Frequency Relationship

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Beach example 
Suppose you were at the (Tip: Use your definitions!)
beach and noticed the
waves were hitting your • Determine the
toes at a regular repeating frequency of the waves.
interval. You counted 5
waves touching your toes in
10 seconds time.

• Calculate the period of

the waves.

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Wave Characteristics
• Wavelength () – Distance from crest (max positive
displacement) to crest, measured in meters.

• Frequency (f ) – The number of cycles passing by

in a given time. The SI unit for frequency is the
Hertz (Hz), which is one cycle per second.
• Wave speed (v) – How fast the wave is moving
(the disturbance itself, not how fast the individual particles
are moving, which constantly varies).
The speed of all waves depends on the medium.

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Wave Relationships
Wave-Speed Example: Sound

• Wavelength (λ) The speed of sound at 25 °C

• Frequency (f) (about room temperature) is 346.13
• Propagation speed (v) m/s. Assume you are playing
the piano and strike middle C
v = λf (frequency 261.6 Hz).
• Calculate the wavelength of
Rearrange this equation to solve
for wavelength. middle C.
• Determine the period of this
sound wave.
λ = v/f
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Electric Charges

The atom

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Electric field lines

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Electromagnetic Waves
Are made by vibrating electric charges and can
travel through space by transferring energy
between vibrating electric and magnetic
fields.

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E field simulation
Check out this simulation on electric fields
https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/charges-and-fields

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Electromagnetic Waves
Are made by vibrating electric charges and can
travel through space by transferring energy
between vibrating electric and magnetic
fields.

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EM Transmission
Check out these simulations to relate electric fields to
how your CricketSat works.
• http://www.cabrillo.edu/~jmccullough/Applets/Flash/Optics/
EMWave.swf
(this one runs automatically)
• https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/radio-waves
(this one you control)

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Speed of Light (c)
c = 3 x 108 m/s
Example:
Suppose your partner were
on the moon and you were
able to make a cell phone
call directly to the moon.
How long would it take the
signal to make it from your
phone on Earth to your
partners phone on the
Moon?

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Your CricketSat
• Calculate the
wavelength of the
radio wave that your
433 MHz transmitter is
transmitting.
M = Mega = 106 = 1 million
k = kilo = 103 = 1 thousand
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• Assuming that your
CricketSat makes it to 5
km in altitude –
determine the time
required for the 433
MHz signal to reach
your ground station.
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EM Spectrum

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 Atmospheric Opacity

Where do the radio waves transmitted by our radio fall into this picture?
Do we need to worry about atmospheric absorption?
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The Visible Portion
EM Spectrum

Make a statement about the percentage of

visible light in the entire EM Spectrum
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Frequency allocation chart

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