General Wave Properties

We hear the vibrations of musical

instruments and feel the vibrations made
by heavy vehicles. We see light and feel the
warmth of a fire. Surprisingly, all these
sensations have something in common;
they all involve the transfer of energy in
the form of a wave motion.
 Wave/Wave motion:
It is the mechanism by which energy is transferred
from one point to another due to the transfer of
disturbance produced in the medium without the
physical transference of any material between these
two points. Simply a wave is a mean of transfer of
energy from an energy source.
• The source of any wave is a vibration or
oscillation.
• A wave may be thought of as a spreading of
disturbance from one place to another.
 Types of waves
• Electromagnetic waves: These waves do not require any
medium for their propagation, e.g heat waves, light waves and
radio waves etc.
• Matter waves: A moving particle carries energy in the form of
its kinetic energy. Since energy is carried with the moving particles,
therefore, there must be waves associated with the moving
particles. These waves are called matter waves. The effect of
matter waves become prominent when the mass is small and
velocity of particles is very high.
• Mechanical waves: These waves require a medium for their
propagation, e.g water waves, waves in a string, sound waves etc.
Mechanical waves are further classified into two types,
i. Transverse waves
ii. Longitudinal waves
Transverse waves: These are the waves in which the
particles of the medium vibrate along lines at right angles
to the direction of propagation of wave.
Examples; water waves , waves in a string etc.
 Waves in a string and spring
Direction of wave

Direction of wave

Up and down motion

In mechanical waves particles of the medium only
vibrate about their mean position and they do not
move along with the wave.
 Terms of waves
• Crest: The highest part of a wave above the mean level.
• Trough: The lowest part of a wave below the mean level.
• Wave Length: It is the distance between two consecutive crests
or between two consecutive troughs. It is denoted by λ(lambda)
and is measured in meters.
• Amplitude: It is the maximum displacement of a vibrating
particle from the mean position. It is a height of a crest or the
depth of a trough. It is also equal to half of the wave height.

Mean level
-----------------------
Wave height
λ
• Wave Height: The vertical distance between the
wave trough and the wave crest.
• Time Period: it is the time taken by one wave to
pass through a given point. It is represented by T
and is measured in seconds or it is also equal to
the time taken for one complete cycle of vibration
to pass through a given point.

One cycle
• Frequency: It is the number of waves passing
through a fixed point in one second. It is
represented by ‘’f’’.
• SI unit for frequency is hertz,with the symbol
"Hz".
Therefore,
Time for ‘’f’’ waves = 1 second
so, time for 1 wave= second
But time for 1 wave is called time period T,
therefore, T= or,
Phase: Two points are said to be in phase if at any particular
instant of time they are moving in the same direction with
the same speed and having the same displacement from the
mean position.

λ
G

In fig. points A,E and B,F and C,G and D,H etc are in phase particles.
Wavelength: It is also equal to the distance between any
two consecutive particles which are vibrating in phase.
 λ Plane wavefronts

The wavefront is always perpendicular to the direction in

which the wave is travelling.
WaveLength: It is also equal to the distance between two
consecutive wavefronts.
Wave Equation

T
 Ripple tank
• It is an apparatus in which the behavior of water
waves can be studied.
Structure of ripple tank:
A ripple tank consists of a transparent tray filled
with water mounted on a 4 legged framework
whose upper surface is illuminated with a 40 watt
bulb. A few millimeter (5-10 mm) depth water is
filled in the tray. A white screen is placed well
below the ripple tank. A wave generator which
consists of a motor, electrically operated, is fixed on
one side of the ripple tank, as shown in fig.
Screen
 Generating plane and circular waves:
• When a spherical
dipper is fixed to wave
generator, circular
waves or pulses are
produced.

• When a straight dipper

is attached to wave
generator, straight
waves or pulses are
produced.
 Action of crest and trough:
In a dark room, the waves
generated in a ripple tank
can be seen on the screen.
Crest behaves like a plano-
convex lens and converges
light rays to a point i.e a
point well below the crest
will appear as a bright point
on the screen.
Trough behaves like a plano-
concave lens and diverges
the light passing through it
hence; a point well below
the trough will appear as a
dark point on the screen.
• Due to the action of crest and trough, circular waves in
a ripple tank can be seen as bright and dark rings on
the screen whereas straight waves are seen as
alternate bright and dark lines on the screen.

• The distance between 2 consecutive dark or bright

lines on the screen is equal to wavelength λ of the
wave.
• The frequency of the wave ‘’f’’ is equal to the
frequency of the wave generator.
• Hence, speed of the wave ‘’v’’ can be found by using
v=fλ
Wave frequency by Stroboscope:
 Effect on water waves going from deep water to
shallow water:

• By placing a glass plate in a ripple tank, a deep and

shallow sections can be created as shown in figure.

λ2
λ1
Shallow
Section
Deep section
Glass plate to decrease depth
and increase friction

• The wavelength of the plane waves shorten on passing

from deep to shallow water.
λ1> λ2
 V11 V2

λ11 λ2 2

λ1> λ2

• Both the long and short waves however,

appears at rest when viewed simultaneously
through the stroboscope. This shows that the
frequency of the waves remains the same in
both the deep and shallow sections.
fλ1 > fλ2
Hence, V1 > V2
 Reflection of water waves:
• Water waves also obey laws of reflection of light. i.e
angle of incidence i is equal to angle of reflection r.

The amplitude, wavelength, frequency and speed of

the wave do not change in reflection.
 Refraction of water waves:
• Water waves also obeys laws of refraction of light. i.e

Deep section

λ1

λ2

Shallow section

Refracted wave bends towards the

normal as it passes from deep to
shallow section.
From ABC, sin i=BC/AC
From AEC, sin r=AE/AC
So,
Or BC/AC BC λ1
n= = =
AE/AC AE λ2
Therefore, λ1
λ2
Since frequency remains same in both the sections
Therefore,
fλ1 V1 Hence,
fλ2 V2
Note that:
i. The amplitude and frequency do not change in
refraction.
ii. The wavelength changes because the speed of the
wave changes.
iii. The wave bends towards the normal as it travels
from deep water to shallow water.
iv. The wave will bend away from the normal when it
travel from shallow water to deep water.
v. In deep and shallow water, waves appears at rest
when viewed simultaneously through the
stroboscope shows that the frequency of waves
remains the same in both sections.