Focus: We will learn how to measure amplitude, wavelength and frequency. Waves

The tallest wave ever recorded was 100 ft. tall! An officer on a ship measured a wave by noticing that it was as high as a specific point on his ship. That point was 100 feet tall!

We can measure parts of all waves. Height is a property of all waves. All waves have a height that we can measure. Speed is another property of all waves. All waves move at a speed that we can measure.

Other properties of all waves are: Speed Wavelength And frequency But we’ll talk more about that in a minute!

Parts of a wave Just like mountains have peaks, and houses have roofs, The top of a transverse wave is called something special, too. It’s called a CREST.

The crest of a wave The CREST of a wave is the highest part of a wave. Every transverse wave has a crest.

In your interactive notebook: Write down your definition of the word “crest,” and draw a picture of a crest. YOU WILL HAVE1 MINUTE

Waves have troughs. Every transverse wave has a trough. The TROUGH of a transverse wave is the lowest part of a wave. TROUGH Every transverse wave has a trough.

In your interactive notebook: Write down your definition for the word “trough,” and draw a picture. YOU HAVE 1 MINUTE

Imagine: You are on a boat. The water is starting to get kind of rough. When your boat is pointing upwards, you are climbing to the crest of the wave. When your boat is pointing downward and sinking lower, you are falling to the trough of the wave.

Amplitude The AMPLITUDE is the distance between the middle of the wave (or the resting position) and the crest. Amplitude

Amplitude The AMPLITUDE can also be measured by the distance between the middle of the wave and the trough. Amplitude

Amplitude The amplitude of a wave is important, because it lets us know how much energy a wave is carrying. Bigger amplitude = More energy Smaller amplitude = Less energy

Amplitude What is the amplitude of this wave?

How did you find the amplitude? Think- Pair – Share How did you find the amplitude?

Which wave has a higher amplitude? Which wave has the highest amplitude? What is the amplitude of wave A? A B

Compressional Longitudinal wave On a compressional wave the area squeezed together is called the compression. The areas spread out are called the rarefaction. The wavelength is the distance from the center of one compression to the center of the next compression.

Frequency is the number of waves (vibrations) that pass through a point in one second. Period is the time it takes for one full wavelength to pass a certain point. Frequency is waves per second.

Frequency is the number of bumps in a given space or time. YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK What is the frequency of the wave in the picture on the left? What is the frequency of the wave in the picture on the right?

What is wavelength? Wavelength is a measure of distance, so the units for wavelength are always distance units, such as meter, centimeters, millimeters, etc.

A wave is 8 meters long and has a frequency of 3 Hz. Find speed. A wave moving through a medium travels at a certain speed. Wave speed is usually measured in meters/second Wave speed = frequency x wavelength. Try it out!! A wave is 8 meters long and has a frequency of 3 Hz. Find speed. In the ocean, a wave has a wavelength of 4 m and a frequency of 2 Hz. What is the wave’s speed?