Download WAVES!

WAVES!
Mechanical Waves
What is a wave?
A wave is a
rhythmic
disturbance that
transfers energy
from one place
to another.
Mechanical waves need a
medium!
A medium is the thing that a wave travels through.
Can
sound
exist
where
there is
no
medium
to carry
it?
A more
realistic
Star
Wars
battle.
There are 2 kinds of mechanical waves.
Transverse waves: The medium vibrates at a right angle to the direction it moves.
There are 2 kinds of mechanical waves.
Longitudinal waves: The medium vibrates the same direction the wave moves.
Which kind of wave is an ocean wave?
Which kind of wave is a sound wave?
4 Important Wave Measurements
Amplitude:
Frequency:
Wavelength:
Velocity:
Amplitude
Amplitude is the strength of a wave.
In a transverse wave, the more amplitude a
wave has, the taller the wave is.
Is this baby getting hit by a large or small
amplitude?
How would you describe these waves
scientifically?
The amplitude of a sound wave can’t be seen,
but it can be heard.
I like to whisper too...
Big amplitudes
need big speakers.
Frequency
The frequency of a wave is the number of waves per second.
Frequency
Frequencies are
measured in Hertz (Hz).
Frequency and pitch are
synonyms.
Frequency
The human range of hearing
is 20-20,000 Hz.
Below 20 Hz is considered
infrasonic.
Above 20,000 Hz is
considered ultrasonic.
Frequency
Let’s test your range!
Wavelength
The wavelength is the distance between two similar parts on a wave.
Wavelength
Wavelengths are measured in meters.
Wavelength
As wavelength
increases, frequency...
Velocity
The velocity of a wave tells how fast it’s moving in m/s. It can be calculated using the
formula velocity = wavelength x frequency
The speed of any wave is constant in a given medium
For example, sound waves always travel at 767 mph in normal atmosphere that is room
temperature.
A little about
the speed of
sound.
Velocity
Light on the other
hand always goes
670,000,000 mph
when in a vacuum
like outer space.
Needless to say,
light is MUCH
faster than sound.