UNDERSTANDING WAVES
* WAVE :
SPREADING OF DISTURBANCE FROM A VIBRATING OR OSCILATING MOTION PHENOMENON THAT ENERGY IS TRANSFERRED THROUGH VIBRATION
SPREADING OF DISTURBANCE FROM A VIBRATING OR OSCILATING MOTION PHENOMENON THAT ENERGY IS TRANSFERRED THROUGH VIBRATION
* EXAMPLE :
LIGHT , WATER , SOUND AND ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
LIGHT , WATER , SOUND AND ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
* TYPES :
- TRANSVERSE WAVE - THE OSCILLATIONS ARE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL ( LIGHT WAVES AND WATER - WAVES )
- LONGITUDINAL WAVE - THE OSCILLATIONS ARE PARALLEL TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL ( SOUND WAVES )
* SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TRANSVERSE WAVE AND LONGITUDINAL WAVES :
- PRODUCED BY VIBRATION OR OSCILLATION
- PROPAGATED BY VIBRATION OR OSCILLATION OF MEDIUM PARTICLES
- CARRY ENERGY OR MOMENTUM WITHOUT TRANSFERRING MATTER
* DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRANSVERSE WAVES AND LONGITUDINAL WAVES :
TRANSVERSE WAVES :
- PERPENDICULAR DIRECTION OF PROPAGATION
- PERPENDICULAR POSITION OF MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT
LONGITUDINAL WAVES :
- PARALLEL DIRECTION OF PROPAGATION
- PARALLEL POSITION OF MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT
* SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TRANSVERSE WAVE AND LONGITUDINAL WAVES :
- PRODUCED BY VIBRATION OR OSCILLATION
- PROPAGATED BY VIBRATION OR OSCILLATION OF MEDIUM PARTICLES
- CARRY ENERGY OR MOMENTUM WITHOUT TRANSFERRING MATTER
* DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRANSVERSE WAVES AND LONGITUDINAL WAVES :
TRANSVERSE WAVES :
- PERPENDICULAR DIRECTION OF PROPAGATION
- PERPENDICULAR POSITION OF MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT
LONGITUDINAL WAVES :
- PARALLEL DIRECTION OF PROPAGATION
- PARALLEL POSITION OF MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT
* WAVEFRONT :
- IMAGINARY LINE ON A WAVE OVER WHICH PARTICLES ARE VIBRATING IN THE SAME PHASE
- DIVIDED INTO TWO :
CIRCULAR WAVEFRONT
PLANE WAVEFRONT
* CREST :
HIGH POINT
* TROUGH :
LOW POINT
* AMPLITUDE :
MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT FROM THE RESTING POSITION
MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT FROM THE RESTING POSITION
* PERIOD :
TIME TAKEN TO GENERATE ONE COMPLETE OSCILLATION
TIME TAKEN TO GENERATE ONE COMPLETE OSCILLATION
* FREQUENCY :
NUMBER OF COMPLETE OSCILLATIONS OCCUR IN ONE SECOND | 1 / PERIOD
NUMBER OF COMPLETE OSCILLATIONS OCCUR IN ONE SECOND | 1 / PERIOD
* WAVELENGTH :
DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE CRESTS OR TROUGHS
DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE CRESTS OR TROUGHS
* WAVESPEED :
DISTANCE MOVED BY A WAVE IN ONE SECOND
DISTANCE MOVED BY A WAVE IN ONE SECOND
* RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FREQUENCY , WAVELENGTH , AND WAVESPEED :
* DAMPING :
- A PROCESS WHERE OSCILLATIONS DIE DOWN TO LOSS OF ENERGY
- WHEN AN OSCILLATING SYSTEM IS LOSING ENERGY TO ITS SURROUNDINGS , THE SYSTEM IS SAID TO BE DAMPED
- WHEN AN OSCILLATING SYSTEM IS LOSING ENERGY TO ITS SURROUNDINGS , THE SYSTEM IS SAID TO BE DAMPED
- INTERNAL : CAUSED BY COMPRESSION AND RAREFRACTIONS OF MOLECULES
- EXTERNAL : CAUSED BY FRICTION BETWEEN THE OSCILLATION SYSTEM AND AIR
- EFFECTS : AMPLITUDE DECREASES , ENERGY DECREASES , FREQUENCY DOES NOT CHANGE AS THE PERIOD REMAIN CONSTANT
* RESONANCE :
- EXTERNAL FORCE MUST BE APPLIED TO KEEP AN OSCILLATING SYSTEM TO GO ON CONTINUOUSLY
- RESONANCE OCCURS WHEN AN OSCILLATOR IS ACTED BY A SOURCE OF ENERGY WHOSE FREQUENCY EXACTLY MATCHES THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE OSCILLATOR
- RESONANCE OCCURS WHEN AN OSCILLATOR IS ACTED BY A SOURCE OF ENERGY WHOSE FREQUENCY EXACTLY MATCHES THE NATURAL FREQUENCY OF THE OSCILLATOR
- EFFECTS : PRODUCTION OF LOUD SOUND FROM MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS , OVER-MUCH NOISE FROM A MOVING BUS , THE RADIO AND TV TUNE CAN BE USED TO SELECT A CERTAIN PROGRAMME , A SUSPENDED BRIDGE CAN COLAPSE IF BLOWN BY STRONG WINDS