Waves Applied to Today
A transverse wave is a wave in which the particles of the medium are displaced in a direction perpendicular to the direction of energy transport. A transverse wave can be created in a rope if the rope is stretched out horizontally and the end is vibrated back-and-forth in a vertical direction. When the rope is taught that is what we would consider the nodal line, the line from which the measurements are derived from. The crest is the point that is the highest positive displacement from the nodal line, the trough is the point that is has the most negative displacement from the nodal line. A longitudinal wave is a wave in which the particles of the medium are displaced in a direction parallel to the direction of energy transport. A longitudinal wave can be created in a slinky if the slinky is stretched out horizontally and the end coil is vibrated back-and-forth in a horizontal direction. A region where the coils are pressed together in a small amount of space is known as a compression. A compression is a point on a medium that has the most density. A region where the distance between coils is more, is known as a rarefaction. A rarefaction is a point on a medium that has the least density. Waves may look similar to one another but they have 4 different characteristics. The first characteristic is amplitude and is noted with an A and is typically measured in meters. The amplitude of a wave is its maximum displacement, from the nodal line to the crest. Longitudinal waves don’t have amplitude. The next characteristic is the wavelength which is noted with λ which is also measured in meters. It is the distance between two crests on a wave, or one complete cycle of a wave. Third is speed, or velocity, and is noted with v. Speed is the time rate of change of position of a wave. The medium of travel affects the speed of a wave. Lastly is phase constant and is noted with Δφ. It shifts the wave in position or time. The characteristics can be found...