Longitudinal Waves - When the wave particle's movement (propagation) is parallel to the energy transfer. For example, Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
Transverse Waves - When the wave particle's movement (propagation) is perpendicular to the the energy transfer. For example, Light is a transverse wave.
All EM (electromagnetic) waves are transverse waves, because the magnetic field and electric field is perpendicular to the wave propagation. why?
The 5 main properties of Waves are amplitude, frequency, wavelength, wave speed, and time period.
Amplitude → The total displacement of a wave from it's resting position. It is about "how much a wave disturbs a medium?" Amplitude is denoted by the symbol 'A.' It's S.I. unit is metre (m). It's formulae is :
x = A sin (wt + φ)
OR
x = A cos (wt + φ)
Frequency → The total number of waves passing through a definite point in a given time. It is about "how often a wave disturbs a medium?" Frequency is denoted by the symbol 'f.' It's S.I. unit is Hertz (Hz), named in the honour of a German physicist - Heinrich Rudolf - Hertz. It's formulae is :
The Graph Representation of Waves
The 2 main graphs used to represent waves are displacement - distance and displacement - time graph.
-Displacement - distance graph
A displacement - distance graph shows the position of each particle in a wave relative to it's distance from a reference point.
The x axis = distance and the y axis = displacement. why?
In most scientific graphs, y axis is consisting of dependent variable and x axis contains independent variable. why?
Waves - Transfer energy from one place to another, but doesn't transfer matter.
How do waves transfer energy?
Waves transfer energy through vibration or oscillation. When a body vibrates or oscillates, the energy is being transferred, however the matter is returning to it's resting place. why?
It is because of it's restoring force. The restoring force, for example in a pendulum, is gravity. The restoring force is opposite to the direction of the displacement, therefore the object come to it's resting point. But because of the inertia, the object continues to moves, however in the opposite direction, as the restoring force changed the direction of the object's displacement. the cycle repeats. But due to friction, the cycle will not last forever.
What is the difference between Oscillation and Vibration?
Vibration is a type of oscillation, but in this circumstances, vibration is considered the movements with low amplitude and high frequency,…
