Name____________________
Chapter Eleven: Waves
17-1 Notes: Types of Waves
What is a wave?
wave- a disturbance that transmits energy through matter or space
waves are usually caused by a vibrating object
waves transfer energy because they can do work
examples- waves can make a boat move, waves can damage your eardrum by causing too
much vibration
most waves travel through a medium- the matter through which a wave travels
mechanical wave- wave that requires a medium through which to travel
there are TWO types of mechanical waves:
transverse wave- wave that causes the particles of the medium to vibrate perpendicularly to
the direction the wave travels
can travel through solid and liquid mediums
travel as up and down or back and forth movement of medium
examples- water waves, rope waves, some earthquake waves
Drawing:
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longitudinal wave- a wave that causes the particles of the medium to vibrate parallel to the
direction the wave travels
can travel through solid, liquid, and gas mediums
travel as compressions and rarefactions in medium
examples- sound waves, some earthquake waves
Drawing:
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This third type of wave is non-mechanical-
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electromagnetic wave- a wave caused by a disturbance in electric and magnetic fields that DOES
NOT require a medium; also known as a light wave
can travel through solids, liquids, and gases, but can also travel through EMPTY SPACE
travel as oscillating electric and magnetic fields
same shape as a transverse wave
Different types of electromagnetic waves make up the electromagnetic spectrum:
Electromagnetic Spectrum- consists of electromagnetic waves of all possible energies,
frequencies, and wavelengths
o Types of Electromagnetic Waves from largest to smallest wavelengths-
radio waves- includes TV signals, AM/FM radio signals, radar, some cell phone signals
o radar- a system that uses reflected radio waves to determine the distance to and
location of objects
used the determine the location of aircraft and by police to monitor the
speed of vehicles
microwaves- waves used to penetrate food and heat up the water molecules in the food
these heated molecules begin to vibrate rapidly, thus heating the food
microwaves can pass through air, glass, plastic, and paper…but are
reflected by metal
This is why you can’t put metal in a microwave oven
infrared- electromagnetic waves that can be felt as warmth
fast food restaurants use heat lamps (infrared waves) to keep food warm
infrared sensors can be used to measure the heat that objects radiate and
then create images that show temperature variations
visible light- type of electromagnetic wave that humans can see with the naked eye
which ranges from 400 nanometers (violet light) to 700 nm (red light)
ultraviolet light- high energy light that is invisible to the human eye
o can be used to kill germs
o can also cause sunburns, which can lead to skin cancer
x-rays- electromagnetic waves that can be passed through the body to make images
o those x-ray waves are absorbed by bones and other tissues creating the bright
areas of an x-ray image
those areas where the x-rays pass through the body create the dark
areas
gamma rays- extremely high energy waves, a dangerous form of nuclear radiation
can be used to kill organisms that spoil food (bacteria, fungi)
cancer treatment, but can cause cancer if exposed to too much
17-2 Notes: Characteristics of Waves
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Wave Properties
Transverse Waves-
crest- the highest point of a transverse wave
trough- the lowest point of a transverse wave
amplitude- the greatest distance that particles in a medium move from their normal position when
a wave passes
wavelength- the distance between any two successive identical parts of a wave
the distance from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next, or the trough of one wave to
the trough of the next
Drawing:
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Longitudinal Waves-
compression- the bunched up areas of a longitudinal wave
rarefaction- the stretched out areas of a longitudinal wave
wavelength-measured as the distance between two rarefactions or two compressions
Drawing:
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More Characteristics of Waves-
period- the time required for one full wavelength to pass a certain point
measured in seconds (s)
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frequency- the number of wavelengths (or vibrations) that pass a point at a given time
measured in hertz (Hz)
our eyes can detect light with frequencies ranging from 4.3 x 1014 Hz to 7.5 x 1014 Hz
light in this range is called visible light
the different frequencies in visible light account for the different colors that we see (see
page 368 of textbook)
Doppler effect- an observed change in the frequency of a wave when the source or observer is
moving
example- as an ambulance moves toward you, the sound waves from the siren are compressed in
the direction the ambulance is moving–so the siren has a high pitch
as the ambulance moves away from you, the sound waves are no longer compressed by the
ambulance–so the siren has a lower pitch
Drawing-
wave speed- the speed at which a wave passes through a medium (measured in m/s)
the speed of a wave depends on the medium it travels through
example- sound waves travel through solids, liquids, and gases
sound travels the fastest through solids because the particles in a solid are much closer
together than those in a liquid or a gas
so in which medium will sound travel the slowest? _________________________
light can travel through empty space at 300,000,000 m/s, but it slows down when it passes
through a medium (such as air or water)
17-3 Notes: Wave Interactions
What happens when a wave meets another object?
reflection- the bouncing back of a wave as it meets a surface or a boundary
example- if you tie a rope to a post and move the rope up and down, the rope will create waves that
bounce off the pole and travel back to your hand (see page 374)
diffraction- the bending of a wave as it passes an edge or an opening
when waves pass the edge of an object or through an opening, they spread out as if a new wave was
created
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example- if you are standing outside the doorway of a classroom, you can hear the students talking
inside the room because the sound waves bend around the doorway
refraction- the bending of waves as they pass from one medium to another
example- light waves bending as they pass from water to a spoon to a glass to the air make the spoon
look like it is broken (see page 376)
What happens when there is more than one wave in the same place at the same time?
interference- the combination of two or more waves that exist in the same place at the same time
There are TWO types of interference
constructive interference- any interference in which waves combine so that the resulting wave is
bigger than the original waves
Drawing:
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destructive interference- any interference in which waves combine so that the resulting wave is
smaller than the largest of the original waves
sometimes the interference can be so severe that the two waves completely cancel each other
out
Drawing:
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the presence of constructive and destructive interference can create colorful displays
example- the different colors seen in soap bubbles are a result of light waves constructively
and destructively interfering with each other
