Review: What’s the difference between a transverse and longitudinal wave? What do waves transfer? What are the high and low points of a transverse wave called? What are the parts of a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread out and close together?

First thing’s first… Which of these show ONE full wave? One wave has one crest and one trough

Wavelength What is length a measure of? So what do you think a wave length is? –The distance between two waves WAVELENGTH

Which has a shorter wavelength?

Measuring Wavelength Does this tell us the distance between the two waves? Why not? You have to measure the distance between two comparable points! (crest to crest, trough to trough, etc.)

Amplitude The distance between the crest or trough and the wave’s resting position. Where’s the crest? Trough? Resting Position Trough Crest Amplitude

Which has a larger amplitude?

What does amplitude tell us about a wave? Which of these waves would cause more damage if it hit the shore? Which has the larger amplitude? Which wave has more energy? THAT’S AMPLITUDE!

We’ve been looking at transverse waves…What about longitudinal? We can relate all of the parts of a transverse wave to a longitudinal one!

We’ll start with wavelength… In a transverse wave: But there aren’t any crests or troughs in a longitudinal wave! WAVELENGTH

So we look at the compressions and rarefactions! Compressions = Crests Rarefactions = Troughs Now we can find the wavelength –Compression to compression –Rarefaction to rarefaction

On to amplitude… In a transverse wave: We now know that compressions are rarefactions are like the crests and troughs, but it’s hard to find a longitudinal wave’s resting point.

Amplitude For the amplitude of a longitudinal wave, we look at how compressed or how rarefied the spring or particles are. –The more compressed or rarefied it is, the higher the amplitude and vice versa.

Frequency If your friend comes over to your house “frequently”, how often do they come over? Can you take a guess as to what the “frequency” of a wave is? –The frequency of a wave tells us the number of waves that are produced in a certain amount of time.

We need to know how many waves are being produced in 10 seconds. How can you find the frequency of this wave? Step 1: pick a point on the wave. Step 2: count the waves that pass that point in 10 seconds.

Which has a higher frequency?

What is the unit for frequency? Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). If one full wave passes a point every second, it has a frequency of 1 Hz. –1 wave per second (1 wave/1 sec.) What is the frequency if three waves pass a point every second? –3 Hz. (3 waves/1 second) What is the frequency if six waves pass a point every three seconds? –2 Hz. (6 waves/3 seconds)

Wave Speed There are two ways to calculate wave speed. –Option 1: time how long a wave takes to get from point A to point B. A B

Option 2: Use the following formula Wave speed = wavelength x frequency Wavelength – 2 meters Frequency – 4 Hz. (4 waves pass every second) Wave Speed = 8 meters/second

Wave speed is affected by several factors –The type of wave Example: electromagnetic waves always travel at the same speed in a vacuum (300,000 km/s – the speed of light) –The medium the wave is moving through If you start two waves in a pan, one with water and one with corn syrup, which will reach the other side of the pan first? Another example is popping your knuckles underwater as opposed to above water.