Describing Waves Amplitude

Definitions Low High

Time period: Time it takes for one full
Transverse Waves: wave to pass a point (seconds).

Frequency: The number of waves passing a

Particles vibrate at right angles to the
point per second (Hertz).
direction the wave is travelling. Eg light.
Longitudinal Waves: Wavelength: The distance between 2 High Short
frequency
crests or 2 troughs (metres). wavelength

Particles vibrate parallel to the direction

Amplitude: The maximum distance away Low Long
the wave is travelling. Eg sound. from the rest position (metres)
frequency wavelength

Refraction When a wave

enters a more
CP4 Wave speeds
Incident ray Normal dense material, Wave speed (v, in m/s)
Angle of
it bends towards d is distance (d, in
Refraction: is the change in incidence
i the normal.
metres) divided by
speed and direction when a Angle of
time (t, in seconds).
refraction v x t
wave enters a new material. r

i Waves can be shown

Normal: is the line at 90o to the as wavefronts (like Wave speed (v, in
boundary of the new material, looking down on the m/s) is frequency (f,
in hertz) multiplied v
that meets the ray at the r When a wave sea). Waves can be
boundary.
enters a less refracted towards the by wavelength (λ, in
Normal dense material, normal in shallow
it bends away
metres). f x λ
water
from the normal. Produced by S Meunier
 Describing Waves Wave speeds

Refraction
CP4