WavesWaves

What is a wave?What is a wave?

• A disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another location without transferring matter– A medium is a substance or material which

carries the wave

LongitudinalLongitudinal

• Vibrates parallel to (in the same direction of) wave travel – sound waves

– the other end of the medium without the actual movement of matter

Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

LongitudinalLongitudinal

• Use your Slinky to demonstrate a longitudinal wave: – Work with a partner– Stretch it out along the table– One of you grasp and draw several coils of a

stretched Slinky toward yourself – Release the coils– The other student must hold his or her end of the

Slinky still– A longitudinal wave pulse will be generated and

travel down the length of the Slinky.

Longitudinal Longitudinal

• Are composed of – Compressions, where the parts of the

medium (coils of the Slinky) are closer together than normal

– In this investigation, you created (generated) compressional longitudinal waves

– The waves traveled through a media (the slinky)

LongitudinalLongitudinal

• Use your Slinky to demonstrate a longitudinal wave: – Work with a partner– Stretch it out along the table– One of you stretch a segment of the Slinky– Release the coils– The other student must hold his or her end of the

Slinky still– A longitudinal wave pulse will be generated and

travel down the length of the Slinky.

LongitudinalLongitudinal

• Are composed of – Rarefactions, where the parts of the

medium are farther apart than normal– In this demonstration, you created

(generated) rarefactional longitudinal waves– The waves traveled through a media (the

slinky)

Transverse Transverse

• Vibrates perpendicular (at right angles) to the wave travel – Electromagnetic waves

Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

TransverseTransverse

• Use your Slinky to demonstrate a transverse wave:– Work with a partner– One of you move your end of the Slinky back and

forth (left and right, like a snake crawling), perpendicular to its stretched length.

– The other student must hold his or her end of the Slinky still

– A series of transverse waves will be generated and will travel through a medium (Slinky)

Water WavesWater Waves

• A combination of longitudinal & transverse

Animation courtesy of Dr. Dan Russell, Kettering University

Electromagnetic WavesElectromagnetic Waves

• Wave which is capable of transmitting its energy through a vacuum (i.e., empty space)

• Produced by the vibration of electrons within atoms on the Sun's surface

• Travel through space until they reach Earth These waves subsequently travel through the vacuum of outer space, subsequently reaching Earth

Mechanical WavesMechanical Waves

• Are not capable of transmitting its energy through a vacuum (space)

• Require a medium in order to transport their energy from one location to another

Mechanical WavesMechanical Waves

• Waves traveling through a solid medium can be either transverse waves or longitudinal waves

• Waves traveling through a fluid (such as a liquid or a gas) are always longitudinal waves