Introduction to WavesWhat is a Wave?If you drop a pebble into a still pond, a wave ripples out in all directions across the water. The surface of the water rises and falls in a regular pattern as the wave moves forward. This rising and falling is called a disturbance. The falling pebble has energy that is transferred to the water molecules. The energy from the pebble moves outward as the water rises and falls. A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another. Types of waves include water waves, sound waves, and light waves. timecresttroughtransverse wavemedium particlesmove up and downenergy transferredEnergy and WavesFor a water wave, energy is transferred by the water molecules. For sound waves, energy is transferred by air molecules. A wave that needs a substance to travel or transfer its energy is called a mechanical wave. The substance that the waves travel through is called the medium. A medium can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Not all waves need a medium to transfer energy. Light is a wave that can travel through a vacuum. A wave can cause the particles of the medium to move in two ways, up and down or side to side. These movements produce two different kinds of waves, transverse and longitudinal. particle movementside to sideLongitudinal WavesIn a longitudinal wave, the particles of the medium move back and forth horizontally, while the energy moves forward. When the particles are pushed together, it is called compression. When the particles are spread apart, it is called rarefaction. An example of a longitudinal wave is sound.AmplitudeProperties of waves include amplitude, wavelength and frequency. Amplitude is a measure of how big the wave is. In a transverse wave, the amplitude is the height of the wave from the rest position to the point of greatest displacement. In a longitudinal wave, amplitude is related to how compressed the particles are in the medium. The more energy a wave has, the higher the amplitude. timeamplitudewavelengthfrequency© Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4465Visit www.newpathlearning.com for Online Learning Resources.Transverse WavesIn a transverse wave, the particles of the medium move up and down while the energy moves forward. The wave has a high point called the crest and a low point called the trough. Examples of transverse waves are light and water waves. You can see the crest and trough of the water wave as it approaches the shore. disturbancewavesenergytransferredwater wavessound wavesmechanical wavesenergytransferredmechanical waveslongitudinal waveenergy is transferred to water moleculestransverse waveIf you drop a pebble into a still pond, a wave ripples out in all directions across the water. The surface of the water rises and falls in a regular pattern as the wave moves forward. This rising and falling is called a disturbance. The falling pebble has energy that is transferred to the water molecules. The energy from the pebble moves outward as the water rises and falls. A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another. Types of waves include water waves, sound waves, and light waves. tttttttttttimecccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrestttttttttttttttrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooouugggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeeedddddddddddddium particlesmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmooooooooooove up and downenergy transferredFor a water wave, energggggggggyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy iiiiiiissssssssssss tttttttttttttttttransferred bbbbbbbbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy tttttttttttthhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeee wattttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr molecules. For sound wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaavvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeesssssssssss,,,,,,, eeeeeeeenergy is transferreddddddd bbbbbbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy air molecules. 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