Waves and Seismic waves Flashcards
(44 cards)
What are the 2 types of waves
Longitudional and Transverse
Amplitude
Maximum displacement from equilibrium
Wavelength
length of one complete wave cycle - distance from peak to peak or compression to compression
Frequency
Number of oscillations or cycles per second
Time period
Amount of time it takes for wave to occur
Transverse wave
A transverse wave is a wave that oscillates perpendicular to its propagation. A wave that vibrates at right angles to the direction of energy transfer.
Longitudional wave
In longitudinal waves, the vibrations are parallel to the direction of wave travel. Longitudinal waves show areas of compression and rarefaction:
Compression
compressions are regions of high pressure due to particles being close together
Rarefraction
rarefactions are regions of low pressure due to particles being spread further apart
example of longitudional wave
stretched spring
example of transverse waves
ripple in water surface
frequency =
measured in Hertz
1 / time period
wavespeed =
frequency x wavelength
OR
distance / time
What do sound waves cause in solids
vibrations as sound travels through solids
what type of waves are sound waves
longitudional
Waves cannot be reflected at the boundary between 2 different materials : True or False
False : they can
Waves can be absorved or transmitted at the boundary between 2 different materials : True or False
True
what causes sound
vibrations
Mechanical Waves
needs a medium to pass through
Medium
A general name for a material that a wave is passing through.
reflection
This occurs when a wave travelling in one medium strikes the surface of a different medium and changes direction so that it returns back into the medium in which it was originally travelling in.
Transmission
Transmission is the movement of a wave through a medium or from one medium into another.
Absorption
Absorption is when the energy being transferred by a wave is taken into an energy store of a material.
Can sound waves can travel through solids causing vibrations in the solid?
yes