Mechanical Waves

1
Mechanical Waves

• transverse, longitudinal and surface waves

2
Mechanical Waves

• A mechanical wave is a disturbance in matter that
  carries energy from one place to another
• Mechanical waves require matter to travel through
• A mechanical wave is created when a source of
  energy causes a vibration to travel through a
  medium

3
Examples of Mediums

• A medium is the matter through which a wave
  travels
• Solids, liquids and gases can all act as a medium
• In a wave pool, the water is the medium
• When you shake a rope, the rope is the medium

4
Types of mechanical waves

• The three main types of mechanical waves are
  transverse waves, longitudinal (compressional)wave
  s and surface waves

5
Transverse Waves

• A crest is the highest point above the rest
  position of a wave
• A trough is the lowest point below the rest
  position of a wave
• crest
  crest
• 
  trough
• trough

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Transverse Wave

• In a transverse wave the wave causes the medium
  to vibrate at right angles to the direction in
  which the wave travels
• The wave carries energy from left to right, in a
  direction perpendicular to the up and down motion
  of the medium
• Direction of wave
• Direction
• of Vibration

7
Longitudinal Waves

• A compression is an area where particles in a
  medium are spaced close together
• A rarefaction is an area where particles in a
  medium are spread out
• This can be seen in spring toys like slinkies
• rarefaction
• compression

8
Longitudinal Waves

• A longitudinal wave is a wave in which the
  vibration of the medium is parallel to the
  direction the wave travels
• The vibration is a back and forth motion that is
  parallel to or in the same direction that the
  wave moves

9
Surface Waves

• A surface wave is a wave that travels along a
  surface separating two mediums
• An ocean wave travels at the surface between the
  water and the air
• Waves behave differently near shore, when they
  topple over themselves they bring the medium and
  anything floating in it with them

10
Surface Waves

• A bobber will move up and down like a transverse
  wave
• The bobber will also move back and forth like a
  longitudinal wave
• These two motions combined cause the bobber to
  move in a circle