A compressional wave causes particles in matter to move back and forth along the same direction in which the waves travels. (Think of a slinky after you flick your wrist holding one end...you can see the compressional wave travel)
- The distance between two consecutive similar points on a wave is a wavelength. GOING CREST TO CREST ON A WAVE IS AN EASY WAY TO MEASURE THIS…
- The maximum displacement of a wave is its amplitude.
- The frequency of a wave is the number of waves that pass a point per unit of time
- The motion of the medium is parallel to the direction of a longitudinal wave.
- formula: The wave speed equals frequency times the wavelength.
- The density and elasticity of a medium affect the speed of the wave.
- Reflection occurs when a wave bounces back.
- The law of reflection states that the angle of the incidence equals the angle of reflection.
- Waves traveling through the same space at the same time interfere with each other.
- A wave produced at the resonant frequency of a material is a standing wave
- Sound is a form of energy that causes particles of medium to vibrate back and forth.
- Sound is a compressional or longitudinal wave.
- The speed of sounds on the properties of the medium. Speed travels faster at high temperatures, in more elastic mediums, and in less dense mediums.
-The top of a wave is called the CREST
-The bottom of a wave is called the TROUGH
-A wave is a disturbance that transfers ENERGY
-In a COMPRESSION, the molecules in that medium are crowded together (Think of the slinky experiment that we did)
In a RAREFACTION, the molecules in that medium are spread apart (Think of the slinky experiment that we did)
A wave that is bounced back is called a REFLECTED WAVE
The unit used to measure frequency is called the HERTZ |