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Physics Notes - Waves Part 2

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141 views5 pages

Physics Notes - Waves Part 2

Uploaded by

ankur11783official
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Sound Waves

 Sound is a form of energy produced by vibrations that travel through a medium.

 These vibrations create waves known as sound waves.

 Sound waves are longitudinal waves: the vibration is forward and backward relative to the direction in which
the wave travels.

Properties of Sound Waves:

 Amplitude: The loudness of sound. Higher amplitude means louder sound.

 Frequency: The pitch of sound. Higher frequency means a higher-pitched sound.

 Wavelength: The distance between successive crests of a wave.

 Speed: Sound travels at different speeds in different mediums. For example, it travels faster in solids than in
gases.

Transmission of Sound:

 Sound needs a medium (solid, liquid, or gas) to travel through.


 It cannot travel through a vacuum as there is no medium to carry the vibrations.

Echo
What is an Echo?

 An echo is the reflection of sound when it hits a surface and bounces back.

Formation of Echo:

 For an echo to occur, sound waves must hit a surface that reflects them.

 The time between the sound produced and the echo heard depends on the distance between the source and the
reflecting surface.

Interesting Fact:

 The speed of sound is approximately 343 meters per second. So, by measuring the time between the sound
and its echo, you can calculate the distance of the reflecting surface.

Sound in Different Media:


Sound in Air, Water, and Solids:

 Sound travels faster in solids than in liquids and faster in liquids than in gases.

 In solids, particles are closer together, allowing sound waves to move more quickly.

Example: Whale Communication:

 Whales use sound to communicate underwater because sound travels faster in water. They produce low-
frequency sounds that travel long distances.

Ultrasound and Infrasonic Sound:


Ultrasound:

 Sound waves with frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing (above 20,000 Hz).

 Used in medical imaging (ultrasound scans) to create images of the body's internal structures.

Infrasonic Sound:

 Sound waves with frequencies lower than the lower audible limit of human hearing (below 20 Hz).

 Elephants and some other animals use infrasound for long-distance communication.

Applications
Radar:
 Uses radio waves to detect the position and speed of objects. It sends out radio signals and receives their
echoes to determine the distance and speed of objects.
Sonar:
 Utilizes sound waves underwater to navigate, communicate, and detect objects like submarines or fish. It
works similarly to radar but with sound waves in water.

Medical Field:
 Ultrasound is extensively used for imaging in medicine, especially in examining internal organs during
pregnancy, detecting tumors, and assessing various medical conditions.

Fun Fact:
 Dolphins and bats use echolocation, a biological version of radar or sonar, to navigate and find prey by
emitting sound waves and listening to the echoes.

Light Waves and EM Spectrum


 Light Waves: Electromagnetic waves that are visible to the human eye.

 Electromagnetic Spectrum: Range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.

 Includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays.

Wave Behaviour at Boundaries: Reflection and Refraction


Reflection:
 Definition: Bouncing back of light when it encounters a surface.

Laws of Reflection:
1. The incident ray, the reflected ray, and the normal at the point of incidence all lie in the same
plane.

2. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Types of Reflection:
3. Regular/Specular Reflection: Reflection from a smooth surface, producing a clear image.

4. Diffuse Reflection: Reflection from a rough surface, scattering light in various directions.

Refraction:
 Definition: Bending of light as it passes from one medium to another due to change in speed.

Laws of Refraction (Snell's Law):

Refraction through a Glass Slab:


 Light bends towards the normal as it enters the glass slab and away from the normal as it
exits.

Total Internal Reflection (TIR) and Diffraction


 Total Internal Reflection:

 Definition: Complete reflection of light back into the same medium when incident from a denser
to a rarer medium at an angle greater than the critical angle.
 Applications: Optical fibers, prisms, mirages.

 Critical Angle (θc): Angle of incidence in the denser medium where the refracted ray in the rarer
medium grazes along the boundary.

 Calculation of Refractive Index:

 Introduction to Diffraction:

 Definition: Bending of light around obstacles and spreading of light waves when passing through
narrow openings.

Problems

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