PROPERTIES OF

WAVES
Understanding wave properties is
What is being
How does transferred
a small water from one
important to understand thedrop send of
behavior
end to theacross
ripples other the
endsurface
of the spring
of still
light, sound and other phenomena.
and how?
water?
Note that the waves are carrying energy from one
place to another but the water particles are not
transferred.
• Motion of slinky spring is another example
• Energy is transferred from one end to other
end of the spring through the vibration (up and
down motion) of particles.
This transfer of energy in the form of disturbance,
from one location to another location, is called a s
wave. Not Matter,
only energy
is
transferred
in a wave.
• Look at these floating objects :
• Though there are ripples on the water, the
objects are not moving along with them. But
they move up and down staying at their own
position.
• This means the water particles are not
moving from one point to another.
• The water particles transfer energy from one
location to another, through up an d down
motion
Mexican waves in a stadium is a good
example to understand wave motion.
 Based on
Types of waves direction of
vibration of
particles
Transverse waves Longitudinal
waves
If the particles are If the particles are
vibrating vibrating parallel to the
perpendicular to the direction of wave, it is
direction of wave, it is a longitudinal wave.
a transverse wave. Eg: sound waves
Eg : Water wave, light
 Types of waves Based on
Required
medium
Mechanical waves Electromagnetic
waves
The waves which The waves which travel
require material as time varying electric
medium to travel and magnetic fields,
Eg: sound waves, without any material
water waves medium.
Eg : light waves.
Sound wave
travels in air
through the to
and fro motion of
air molecules
 Describing wave
Highest point in a wave - Lowest point in a wave -
Crest Trough

Crest

A C I
E G

B D F H
Trough
 When
Whentwotwo
particles areare
particles in in
same phase phase
we say they are
Whichopposite
of the particleswe aresay
outthey
of
IN Phase
are
B,Out
G,Lof
Particlesphase? arePhase
IN phase,
Q:
The state of motion of a Ans: B,because
G,Ans:Which
L are out are
of the
phaseother
with E
A, F &K
they areareatin phase
highest
particle is called as its Phase particles which are in phase?
E &&Jpoints
J
are in phase
A, F & K are out
C & of phase
H are with D & I
in Phase
D & I are in phase
B G L

C H

A D I K
F

E J
 1.Wavelength  (lambda)
Distance between two crests OR Distance between two
troughs
OR
Distance between two consecutive particles which are
in phase
G
UnitB: metre
 L

C  H

A D I K
F

E  J
2. Frequency (f) –
The number of waves generated in one second
or the number waves passing one point in one
second Which of these
two points are
The unit of frequency is hertz (Hz) receiving more
number of waves
in 1s?
A
Point B receives more number
of waves than point A. Hence,
wave 2 has higher frequency
B than wave 1.
3. Time period (T)–
The time taken to complete one wave is its
time period
The unit is second (s)
Note : The time taken by the wave to travel a
distance of  is its time period
Relation between frequency and time
period
Number of waves generated in T s = 1
Therefore, no. of waves generated in 1 s
=
f=
ie.,
4.Amplitude (a) : - The maximum disturbance
caused by a wave.
It is the distance of crest or trough from the
middle.
Unit : metre (m)
 ENERG
speed Y

VIBRATIONS

5. Wave speed
The speed is how fast the disturbance
travels
(how fast the energy is transferred)
 speed

ENERGY
speed

Notice that both waves have the same speed but

different wavelengths and frequencies. The wave
equation can explain this mathematically.
 The wave equation

Wave equation relates speed , frequency

and wavelength of a wave.

Speed =

= V
V=
v=f (since f = 1/T ) f 
 Wavefront
The imaginary straight line joining the particles
of a wave which are in same phase is called a
wavefront.
The line joining the Wavefronts
crests of a wave can be
thought as a wavefront.
The separation between
two consecutive
  wavefronts is
 wavelength
 The shape of a
Types of Wavefront wavefront depends
on the shape of the
source of
straight wavefront circular wavefront
disturbance
If a linear source (eg. Ruler) sends If the source is a point source
out waves, then straight wave (eg. Finger tip) it sends out
fronts are produced. circular wave fronts
Ray

The perpendicular drawn to the

wavefront is called as a ray.

Ray Ray
s s
 In laboratory, waves are studied
using a ‘ripple tank’.

A light shining
Shallow glass through the water
bottomed tank casts the shadow of
with small amount the ripples on the
of water floor below

RIPPLE
There are two different ways of making ripples in a ripple
tank.
1. A wooden bar that touches the surface of water,
vibrates up and down at a steady rate. This send
Let wavefront)
equally spaced straight ripples (straight us watch a vide
across the surface of water. o to understand rip
ple tank
2. A spherical dipper that touches the surface of better.
water. As
Planeup
it vibrates wavefront
and down, equally spaced circular ripples
(circular wavefront) are spread out across the surface
circular wavefront
of water
 Wave phenomena  Refraction
 Reflection
 Diffractio
1. Refraction : n
When waves in water travel through different
depths, they change speed.
This change in speed of waves is called as
refraction.
The change in speed may also change the
direction of wave
 In shallow water, they slow down, in deeper
water they speed up.
We can investigate this by changing the
depth of water in ripple tank.
Refraction in ripple tank :
 If a glass plate is placed in a ripple tank so that the water over
the glass plate is about 1mm deep but is 5mm deep elsewhere,
continuous straight waves in the shallow region are found to
have a shorter wavelength than those in the deeper parts.
 i.e. the wavefronts are closer together .
When the glass plate is
 Both
kept sets of waves
at an angle have the frequency of the vibrating bar and,
with the
since
wavefronts, the direction
v= of the
fλ, wave is changed
if λ has decreased so has v, since f is fixed.
Shallow water
 Hence waves travel more slowly in shallow water.
Deep water
 Drawing of wavefront diagrams for
refraction
1. From deep to shallow 1.Draw equally spaced plane
water wavefronts.
Deep water 2.Draw the incident ray.
3.Identify the boundary.
4. Draw perpendicular to the
Incident ray i boundary (normal)
5. Draw refracted ray, bending
r towards the normal.
6. Draw the refracted wavefronts
1 2 perpendicular to the refracted ray.
Shallow water
7. Mark the angle between the
R
N
Incident Ray
Normal
1>2 normal and incident ray as angle of
R Refracted Ray incidence (i) and angle between
A Angle
refracted ray and normal as angle of
 1.Draw equally spaced plane
wavefronts.
2.Draw the incident ray.
2. From shallow to deep 3.Identify the boundary.
water 4. Draw a perpendicular to the
Shallow water boundary (normal)
5. Draw refracted ray, bending
away from the normal.
i 6. Draw the refracted
r
wavefronts perpendicular to the
2 refracted ray.
1 Deep water
7. Mark the angle between the
normal and incident ray as
1< 2 angle of incidence (i) and angle
between refracted ray and
normal as angle of refraction
(r).
2.Reflection
 Figure shows what happens when a flat metal
barrier is placed in the ripple tank.
 Straight ripples are reflected when they strike the
flat surface of barrier.
 Reflection involves a change in direction
of waves when they bounce off a barrier.
Drawing of wavefront diagrams for
reflection (Plane wavefronts)
1. Draw parallel incident
wavefronts and barrier.
2. Draw the incident ray.
3. Draw normal to the reflecting
boundary at the point of
i
r incidence.
4. Measure the angle of
incidence i.
5. Measure same angle (angle of
reflection r) on the other side
of the normal and draw the
Reflection does not reflected ray.
change wavelength 6. Draw reflected wavefronts
perpendicular to the reflected
Drawing of wavefront diagrams for
reflection (circular wavefronts)
1. Draw circular wavefronts
and the barrier.
2. Measure the distance
between the centre of
wavefonts to the barrier
3. Meausre the same
distance to the other side
of the barrier and mark a
point.
4. Measure the radius of
incident wavefronts.
5. Draw the reflected
wavefronts with the same
radius.
 3. Diffraction

 Diffraction is the bending

of waves around the corners
of an obstacle or a slit with
small gap.
 Bending of light at the
corners of the door, silver
lining of clouds are
examples of diffraction of
light waves.
 In ripple tank , as the ripples
pass through a gap in a
barrier, they spread out into
 Factors affecting diffraction
1. Width of the gap
 Diffraction is maximum when the width of
the gap is equal to the wavelength of
ripples.
 When the width is much smaller, the
waves do not pass through at all.
2. Wavelength
 Also, larger the wavelength, greater the
diffraction.
 Sound waves have wavelength between
10 mm – 10m, hence they easily get
diffracted as they pass through doorways
and windows.
 Light has a wavelength of the range of 10-
10
m, hence very small gaps are needed to
see the diffraction of light waves.
Drawing of wavefront diagrams for diffraction
(when gap size < wavelength)

1. Draw equally spaced

incident wavefronts and
barrier with gap
2. Locate the centre of the
first incident wavefront and
measure the wavelength
using compass.
3. Now draw first circular
diffracted wavefront on the
other side of barrier with
radius equal to wavelength.
Diffraction does not 4. Measure double the
change the wavelength and draw
wavelength
second diffracted wavefront
Drawing of wavefront diagrams for diffraction
(when gap size > wavelength)

Follow the same steps

and draw diffracted
wavefronts straight in
the middle and curved
towards the edges.