Waves covers a large topic in science. The two types of waves that we talked about in this class were mechanical and electromagnetic, but we will focus on the mechanical waves for this content page. All mechanical waves need and move through a medium such as air, water, or the earth. There are two types of mechanical waves, transverse waves (rope/string wave) and longitudinal waves (sound and pressure waves). When it comes to transverse waves, the oscillation is perpendicular to the propagation of the wave. With longitudinal waves (aka compression waves) the oscillation is parallel to the propagation.
Wave Investigations
There are many parts to a wave. The high points are called the crests, and the low points are called the troughs. The distance between two successive points is called the wavelength (λ) (between two crests). The period (T) is the amount of time that passes between two successive points on a wave. The frequency (f) is the amount of complete cycles of a wave in a 1 second period. The amplitude is the maximum displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position.
Wave Speed
A wave has speed like almost everything moving in our universe. The equation for the speed of a wave is v=(λ/T) or v=(λ)(f)
There are many parts to a wave. The high points are called the crests, and the low points are called the troughs. The distance between two successive points is called the wavelength (λ) (between two crests). The period (T) is the amount of time that passes between two successive points on a wave. The frequency (f) is the amount of complete cycles of a wave in a 1 second period. The amplitude is the maximum displacement of a wave from its equilibrium position.
Wave Speed
A wave has speed like almost everything moving in our universe. The equation for the speed of a wave is v=(λ/T) or v=(λ)(f)