What is a wave?
Waves are a phenomenon that transports energy eihtout transporting matter
teo types of waves
mechanical, transsverse
mechanical waves are
waves that can only travel through matter like a solid, liquid, or gas.
two types of mechanical waves
transverse and longitudinal
transverse waves
the disturbance in the medium is perpendicular to the wave’s motion
disturbances create a pattern of crests and troughs
Longitudinal waves
the disturbance in the medium is parallell to the waves motion
disturbances create compressions and rarefactions
Amplitude R energy
Amplitude high=energy high
high energy/amplitude transverse
amplitude is higher
crests and troughs are higher/lower
high energy/amplitude longitudinal
compressions more compressed, rarefactions more far apart
Amplitude is measured by
maximum displacement of a particle from its equilibrium
human hearing db
0-80
decibel scale
used to describe the loudness of sound
Intensity
amount of energy in soudn waves
For every increse of 10 db, the sound has
10 times the intensity
loudness
human perception of intensity
A soudn that is 10 times as intense will be perceived as
twice as loud
wavelength
distance wave moves during one cycle/crest to crest/trough to trough
frequency
of wave cycles that pass a certain point in 1 second (hz)
Frequency R wavelength
high f=short λ
low f= long λ
human ear hz
20-20,000
<20 hz
infrasound
> 20,000 hz
ultrasound
period
time it takes for a particle to have one wave cycle
Period R frequency
inverse
T=1/f
f=1/T
