What is wave

However, none of the individual people in the stadium are carried around with the wave as it travels - they all remain at their seats. Check out this real-life example by a military precision drill team form Physics Footnotes. Sound waves in air behave in much the same way. As the wave pulse passes through, the particles in the air oscillate back and forth about their equilibrium positions but it is the disturbance which travels, not the individual particles in the medium.

There are several other examples of wave types which can propagate through a mechanical medium. Transverse waves on a string are another example. The string is displaced up and down as the wave pulse travels from left to right, but the string itself does not experience any net motion. Still-water level Water level when the surface is flat and smooth with no waves. Still-water level is slightly lower than halfway between the crest and trough because crests are usually steeper and narrower than troughs.

Wave direction If a wave has a speed S , then wave direction can be noted used compass headings or arrows in a diagram. To represent these attributes visually, scientists may use a wave profile diagram Fig. A wave profile is a side view of a wave and is used to show wave features including crests, troughs, wave height, and wavelength.

In order to describe a set of waves traveling in a specific direction, scientists use top-view wave diagrams Fig. An arrow is used to depict the direction of propagation movement of the waves. By mathematically relating wave properties, it is possible to gain valuable information about wave behavior. The basic properties of waves are measurable in units of distance and time. Two properties that can be measured directly are wavelength L , which is the distance or length from wave crest to wave crest, and period T , which is the time it takes a wave to pass a fixed point Fig.

Knowing wavelength and wave period, the wave speed S can be calculated by dividing wavelength L by time, or period T. In order to determine the period of a wave, it is necessary to know the amount of time between waves. Period is usually measured in seconds per wave. To determine period T , wavelength L is divided by speed S. To calculate wave frequency and period, it is helpful to remember the inverse relationship between these two properties.

Frequency is measured in waves per second and period is measured in seconds per wave. For example, if the period is 2 seconds, then the frequency is 0. Use your knowledge of wave properties to create a wave worksheet, share your worksheet with a classmate.

Create standing waves in a wave tank and look at the effect of frequency and length of wave pulse on wavelength, wave height, wave speed, and wave period. Standing waves are waves that do not appear to move forward or advance in position.

Rather, they oscillate or vibrate in place. A plucked guitar string is an example of a standing mechanical wave with two fixed ends. Standing waves occur when waves with the same frequency, wavelength, and amplitude interact.

In contrast to standing waves, transverse waves advance in position. Water waves on the surface of the ocean do not typically behave like standing waves. Instead, they behave like transverse waves, propagating their energy forward as they move. This document may be freely reproduced and distributed for non-profit educational purposes.

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NGSS Performance Expectations: MS-PS Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

Wave Fact Sheet Word Document. Wave: The repeating and periodic disturbance that travels through a medium e. Wave Length: The distance between two consecutive wave crests or between two consecutive wave troughs. Wave Frequency: The number of waves passing a fixed point in a specified period of time. Wave Period: The time it takes for two successive crests one wavelength to pass a specified point.

The wave period is often referenced in seconds, e. Fetch: The uninterrupted area or distance over which the wind blows in the same direction. The greater the fetch, the greater the wave height. This creates stress on the water and results in tiny short wavelength waves called ripples. Ripples are often called capillary waves. Waves travel with little change across the vast expanses of the open ocean, but eventually all waves must reach shore.