WAVES

Ivan L. Saligumba
Institute of Education and Teacher Training
WAVE
➢ a repeating disturbance or movement that transfers energy through
matter or space
Ocean Waves
Ultrasonic Sound Waves
Electromagnetic Waves
 Learning Targets
1.) Define and describe wave
2.) Differentiate mechanical from electromagnetic
waves; transverse from longitudinal waves
3.) Define the following properties of a wave and
describe their relationship: wavelength, amplitude,
frequency, speed and period of a wave
4.) Describe behaviors of a wave such as reflection,
refraction, diffraction and interference
5.) Enumerate the electromagnetic waves in the
electromagnetic spectrum and describe each of these
EM waves.
 Learning Targets
6.) Explain how sound waves are produced and how
they propagate
7.) Explain phenomena such as Doppler effect,
echo, reverberation and shock waves
8.) Explain some applications of sound waves such
as echolocation, sonar and medical
imaging(ultrasound)
9.) Explain how humans hear/perceive sound waves
10.) Explain the occurrence of earthquakes and
tsunamis
 WAVE

Waves transfer energy not

matter. They can only
exist as they have energy
to carry.

Falling pebbles transfer their kinetic

energy to the particles of water in the
pond , forming waves.
 Classification of Wave
Waves can be classified on the
basis of their ability or inability to
transmit energy through a vacuum.

1.) Mechanical Wave

- a wave which is not
capable of transmitting its energy
through a vacuum
- require a medium in order
to transport their energy from one
location to another
- examples are ocean waves,
seismic waves and sound waves
 Classification of Wave
2.) Electromagnetic Wave
- a wave which is
capable of transmitting its
energy through a vacuum
- produced by the
vibration of charged
particles
- has electric and
magnetic components
 Classification of Wave
Waves can be classified on the basis of the direction of movement of the individual
particles of the medium relative to the direction which the waves travel.

1.) Longitudinal Waves

- a wave in which particles of the medium move in a
direction parallel to the direction which the wave moves
- examples : sound waves
 Classification of Wave
2.) Transverse Wave
- a wave in which particles of the medium
move in a direction perpendicular to the
direction which the wave moves
- examples: electromagnetic waves
 Parts of a Transverse Wave
1) Crest - the highest
point on a transverse
wave

2) Trough - the lowest

point on a transverse
wave
 Parts of a Longitudinal Wave
1) Compression
➢ the area that is
squeezed together
➢ the denser area

2) Rarefaction
– the area that is spread
out
– the less dense part
 Properties of a Wave
1) Wavelength, λ
- the length of one complete
wave cycle
- can be measured as the
distance from crest to crest or
from trough to trough or from
a point on a wave to the
corresponding point on the
next cycle of the wave (for a
transverse wave)
- the distance from the center of
one compression to the center
of the next compression(for a
longitudinal wave)
 Properties of a Wave
2.) Amplitude
For a transverse wave
– refers to the maximum
amount of displacement of a
particle on the medium
from its rest position
– determined by the height of
the crest or depth of the
trough
For a longitudinal wave
– determined by the closeness
of the compression (closer
compressions and farther
rarefactions)

Amplitude is directly related to the energy of a wave.

 Properties of a Wave
3.) Frequency, f
– the number of waves
that pass through a point
in one second
– SI unit is Hertz (Hz)
• 1 Hz = 1 cycle/second

Wavelength and frequency are inversely related.

The smaller the wavelength, the more
times it will pass through a point in one second. The
larger the wavelength, the fewer times it will pass
through a point in one second.
 Properties of a Wave
4.) Period
– the time it takes for one
full wavelength to pass a
certain point

1 1
frequency = f=
period T
 Properties of a Wave
5. Speed, v
– the speed of the wave as it
travels vacuum or in its
medium
• The speed of the
electromagnetic waves in
vacuum is about 3.0 x 108
m/s.

• The wave speed, frequency

and wavelength are related
by the equation:
v = f
 Example
• A wave is traveling at a velocity of 12 m/s and
its wavelength is 3 m. Calculate the wave
frequency.
Given: v = 12 m/s
λ=3m
f=?
Solution: v = f
v 12 m/s 4 4cycles
f = = = = or 4Hz
 3m s s
 Behaviors of a Wave
1.) Reflection
– the bouncing off of wave
after hitting an object or a
substance
– involves a change in direction
of waves when they bounce
off a barrier
• Law of Reflection
– the waves will always reflect
in such a way that the angle
at which they approach the
barrier equals the angle at
which they reflect off the
barrier
 Behaviors of a Wave
2.) Refraction
– the bending of wave as it
passes from one
medium to another
– involves a change in the
direction of waves as
they pass from one
medium to another
– accompanied by a
change in speed and
wavelength of the waves
 Diffraction
3.) Diffraction:
– the bending of waves
around objects
– spreading out of waves
after going through an
opening
• The amount of diffraction
(the sharpness of the
bending) increases with
increasing wavelength and
decreases with decreasing
wavelength.
• When the wavelength of
the waves are smaller than
the obstacle, no noticeable
diffraction occurs.
 Reflection, Refraction and Diffraction
• Reflection involves a change in direction of
waves when they bounce off a barrier.
• Refraction of waves involves a change in the
direction of waves as they pass from one
medium to another
• Diffraction involves a change in direction of
waves as they pass through an opening or
around a barrier in their path.
 Interference
4.) Interference:
– occurs when two or
more waves overlap
or intersect
– could be constructive
or destructive
 Interference
Constructive Interference Destructive Interference
• occurs when two interfering • occurs when two interfering
waves are in-phase waves are out-of-phase
• The resulting wave has an • The resulting wave has
increased amplitude. decreased amplitude.
 The Doppler Effect
• Doppler Effect
– the apparent change in
frequency detected when the
wave is moving relative to the
observer
– an apparent upward shift in
frequency for observers
towards whom the source is
approaching and an apparent
downward shift in frequency
for observers from whom the
source is receding
• There is no actual change in
the frequency of the source.
• Observed for any kind of
wave.
 Standing Wave
• Standing Wave
– a wave phenomenon characterized by
points of zero vibration and points of
maximum vibration, occurring when two
waves of equal frequency and intensity
traveling in opposite directions
– occurs in mechanical waves
– characterized by an alternating pattern
of nodes and antinodes
• Nodes – points of no displacements
where destructive interferences occur
• Antinodes - positions along the
medium that vibrate back and forth
between a maximum upward
displacement to a maximum
downward displacement
- where constructive
interferences occur
 Sound
• Sound waves
– are mechanical and longitudinal waves
– produced by the vibrations of material objects in some media,
i.e. air, water, steel, etc..
 The Speed of Sound

✓ Depends on elasticity and density

• Solids are more elastic than liquids, which
are more elastic than gases.
– speed of sound is faster in solids than in
liquids and gases
• The denser the medium, the faster
the sound will travel.

✓ Depends on the temperature of the medium

• As the temperature increases, so does the
speed of the molecules and the faster the
particles will carry the sound.
– results to their collision with each other more
frequently, thus, a disturbance is translated
more rapidly
 Properties of Sound and Its Perception
Pitch- the perception of frequency
• The higher the frequency, the higher
the pitch.
• High pitch sounds carry more energy
than low pitch sounds.
• A healthy human ear can hear
frequencies in the range of 20 Hz to
20,000 Hz. Humans cannot hear below
20 Hz. Sounds below this frequency
are termed infrasonic.
• Sounds above 20,000 Hz are termed
ultrasonic. Some animals, such as
dogs, can hear frequencies in this
range in which humans cannot hear.
 Wide Range of Frequency
Dogs
• detect frequencies as low as approximately
50 Hz and as high as 45 000 Hz
Cats
• detect frequencies as low as approximately
45 Hz and as high as 85 000 Hz
Cattle and Elephant
• detect infrasound
• audible range from approximately 5 Hz to
approximately 10 000 Hz
Dolphins
• detect frequencies as high as 200 000 Hz
 Properties of Sound and Its Perception
• Sound Intensity - the energy that the sound
wave possesses
• The greater the intensity of sound the farther the sound will
travel and the louder the sound will appear.
• Loudness
– very closely related to intensity
– the human perception of the sound intensity
– unit for loudness is decibels.
 SOUND LEVELS AND INTENSITIES OF VARIOUS SOUND

Sound level (dB) Intensity ( W/m2)

0 1X10-12 Threshold of hearing at 1000 Hz
10 1X 10-11 Rustle of leaves
20 1X10-10 Whisper 1 m distant
30 1X10-9 Quiet home
40 1X10-8 Soft music, average home
50 1X10-7 Average office
60 1X10-6 Normal conversation
70 1X10-5 Noisy office, busy traffic
80 1X10-4 Loud radio, classroom lecture
90 1X10-3 Inside subway train: damage after prolonged
exposure
100 1X10-2 Average factory, siren at 30 m: damage from
8 hr exposure/ day
110 1X10-1 Damage from 30 min exposure per day
120 1 Pneumatic chipper at 2 m, loud rock concert
indoors: threshold of pain, damage in
minutes
140 1X102 Jet airplane at 30 m: severe pain
160 1X104 Bursting of eardrum
Bats
• essentially blind
• rely on sound echolocation for navigation and hunting
• detect frequencies as high as 120 000 Hz
 Sonar

Sonar
• uses radio waves for ranging
and detection
• sends sound pulses
underwater which are
reflected by objects
• resulting echoes are picked
up by a detector
Ultrasonic waves
• very penetrating due to short wavelengths

ULTRASOUND
• view a fetus without exposing it to the side effects of x-rays
 Acoustics
Acoustics
– the study of sound and ways to optimize
the hearing of sound inside various
structures.
Echo
• reflected sound

Reverberations
• repeated reflections
• If the walls of an auditorium are too
reflective, the music that you hear
becomes garbled.
• If the reflective surfaces are too
absorbent, the sound level would be
low and the auditorium would sound
dull and lifeless!
• Reflection of sound in a room makes it
sound lively and full as you might find
out while singing in the shower