Date: L1,2 – Waves: Units and Properties

Sunday, Nov
ember 3, 20
24
LEARNING OBJECTIVE

We are learning about transverse and longitudinal waves

LEARNING
3/4 OUTCOMES
Use different units of measure

5/6 Explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves

6/7 Explain that waves transfer energy and information without

matter

Starter:
KEY WORDS:
Sound
Energy Brain dump: write/draw everything
Vibration you know about waves.
Longitudinal
Transverse
Waves: Units and Properties
Specifications:

3.1 use the following units: degree (°), hertz (Hz), metre (m),
metre/second (m/s) and second (use the following units: metre/second
(m/s), metre/second2 (m/s2), second (s).
3.2 explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves.
3.3 know the definitions of amplitude, wave front, frequency, wavelength
and period of a wave.
3.4 know that waves transfer energy and information without transferring
matter.
3.3 know the definitions of amplitude, wavefront, frequency, wavelength
and period of a wave
3.5 know and use the relationship between the speed, frequency and
wavelength of a wave: wave speed = frequency × wavelength, v = f × λ
Starter – In your notebook
Brain dump:
Write/draw everything you know about waves.

Soun Pitch and loudness

d wa all
a ves ves
Ocean
w sm
n d s
a ve
g
Bi wa
i tu de
pl
am
3.1 use the following units: degree (°), hertz (Hz), metre (m), metre/second (m/s) and
second.
 What is a wave?

A wave is a means of transferring energy and information from one

point to another without there being any transfer of matter between the
two points.
There are two type of waves
• Transverse Waves
• Longitudinal Waves

Wavefront: A line where all the vibrations are in phase

and the same distance from the source.
Know that waves transfer energy and information without transferring matter

• When a wave travels between two points, no matter actually

travels with it: The points on the wave simply vibrate back and
forth about fixed positions.
• The wave does, however, transfer energy.
Explain the difference between longitudinal and transverse waves

Waves can be classified as longitudinal or transverse

WAVE

LONGITUDINAL TRANSVERSE
There are two different types of wave:

Transverse
wave

Start

Longitudinal
wave

Start
 Transverse Waves

Transverse waves are waves

where the direction of vibrations vibrations
are perpendicular (at 90°) to the
direction of energy transfer.
wave
direction

TRANSVERSE WAVE

DirectionEne
of energy transfer

Example : water waves

Examples of transverse waves are light, water Vibrations

waves and the secondary waves produced by an
Earthquake.
 Transverse Waves

The vibrations are perpendicular to the

direction of energy transfer.

Direction of energy transfer

Vibrations
 Longitudinal Waves

Longitudinal waves are

waves where particles vibrations
have vibrations parallel to
the direction (in the same)
wave direction
of the energy transfer.
LONGITUDINAL
WAVE

Example : Sound waves

longitudinal wave in
slinky
 Longitudinal Waves

The vibrations are parallel to the direction of

energy transfer.

Direction of energy
transfer

Vibrations
 Compression and rarefactions: A compression is a region in a
longitudinal wave where the particles are closest together. Rarefaction. A
rarefaction is a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are furthest
apart.
*compressions and rarefactions are characteristics of longitudinal waves.

Period: The time for a single wave to

pass a point, Period is measured in
seconds (s)
To know the
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWVS2 characteristics of waves.
aWy7KU

13
 Describing Waves ( properties of waves)

1. Amplitude (A)

The amplitude is the maximum height of the wave from its resting
position – the greater the amplitude, the louder the sound

Crest

Position of rest: The

rest position in a wave is amplitu
the position in which the de
wave would sit if there rest
was no disturbance positio
moving through it, which n
is sometimes also called amplitu
the equilibrium position. de

Trough

The amplitude is the height of a crest OR the depth of a

trough
 2. Wavelength (λ)

The wavelength is the distance between the crests (tops) of

two waves next to each other (or any other two identical point
on waves next to each other)
Wavelength is measured in metres.

waveleng
th

rest
position

wavelength

Wavelength is also the distance between the bottom of one trough to the
next.
Wavelength is considered to be the distance from:
• Crest to crest
• Trough to trough
 3. Frequency (f )

• Frequency – the number of waves per

second.
• Has the units of hertz, Hz

Wavelength and frequency

Long wavelength means…

low frequency

Short wavelength means …

high frequency
 Frequency is the number of complete cycles/waves
occurring every second. It is measured in Hertz
(Hz).

0s 1s

2 cycles in 1s = 2Hz

0s
1s

4 cycles in 1s = 4Hz
 4. Period (T)

• Period: The time for a single wave to pass a point.

• Has the units of seconds (s).

 In your copybook, please draw a Venn diagram to sort different statements about
longitudinal and transverse waves

Today’s task
Transverse Longitudinal
 matter is not
Particles vibrate at right angles to the transferred
direction in which the wave moves.

electromagnetic radiation
sound

water waves transfer of energy

Particles of the medium vibrate in the same

direction as the wave moves.
 Transverse Longitudinal

Particles sound
vibrate at right
angles to the matter is
direction in not
which the transferred
wave moves.
transfer of energy
Particles of
the medium
vibrate in the
same
direction as
the wave
water waves moves.

electromagnetic radiation
 Waves – Wavelength
Wavelength: The distance between two consecutive particles in phase.
Wavelength is a distance and is measured in meters (m).

Wavelength is considered to be the distance from:

• Crest to crest
• Trough to trough
• One crest and one trough.

Physical Symbol Unit Unit Symbol

quantity
Wavelength ʎ Meter m
 Wave Equation
There is a relationship between the wavelength (ʎ), the
frequency (f) and the wave speed (v) that is true for all
waves.

Physical Symbol Unit Unit Symbol

quantity
Wavelength ʎ Meter m
Frequency f Hertz Hz
Speed V Meter/second m/s
 Wave Equation

Calculatee the speed of a wave that has a 1500m

wavelength and a frequency of 25Hz.
 Wave Equation

Calculate the frequency of a wave traveling at 2.0m/s

and has a wavelength of 20m.
 Wave Equation

A 2500Hz wave traveling at 50m/s is observed.

Calculate the wavelength of the observed wave.
 Practice Exercises

Complete the following questions, and self assess.

1. Find the frequency of a wave travelling at 500m/s with a wavelength

of 25m.
2. Find the speed of a wave with a frequency of 10kHz and a wavelength
of 2m.
3. Find the speed of a wave with a wavelength of 50cm and a frequency
of 4kHz
4. Find the speed of a radio wave with a wavelength of 3000m and a
frequency of 100kHz
5. Find the wavelength of a wave travelling at 11km/s with a frequency
 Practice Exercises

Complete the following questions, and self assess.

1. Find the frequency of a wave travelling at 500m/s with a wavelength

of 25m.
2. Find the speed of a wave with a frequency of 10kHz and a wavelength
of 2m.
3. Find the speed of a wave with a wavelength of 50cm and a frequency
of 4kHz
4. Find the speed of a radio wave with a wavelength of 3000m and a
frequency of 100kHz
5. Find the wavelength of a wave travelling at 11km/s with a frequency
 Practice Exercises - Answers

1. Find the frequency of a wave travelling at 500m/s with a f = v ÷ λ

f = 500 ÷ 25
wavelength of 25m
f = 20Hz

2. Find the speed of a wave with a frequency of 10kHz and v=fxλ

a wavelength of 2m. v = 10,000 x 2
v = 20,000m/s

3. Find the speed of a wave with a wavelength of 50cm and v=fxλ

a frequency of 4kHz v = 4,000 x 0.5
v = 2,000m/s
 Practice Exercises - Answers

4. Find the speed of a radio wave with a wavelength of v=fxλ

3000m and a frequency of 100kHz v = 100,000 x 3000
v=
300,000,000m/s

5. Find the wavelength of a wave travelling at 11km/s with λ=v÷f

a frequency of 5.5kHz λ = 11,000 ÷ 5,500
λ = 2m
Worksheet MS