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Waves in Physics are a form of energy transmission. Classically, we see waves as the oscillation caused by energy transmission through a medium. As waves are defined simply as energy transmission in the form of oscillations, there are many different types of waves, such as electromagnetic waves, water waves, or gravitational waves.
We can divide waves into stationary waves and progressive waves. Stationary waves do not propagate as they oscillate up and down in the same place. An example of this is the guitar strings when you play the guitar. Progressive waves move from one place to another. A classic example of a progressive wave is an ocean wave.
Figure 1. A progressive wave moves from one place to another. Source: StudySmarter.
Figure 2. A stationary wave does not move from one place to another. Stationary waves are oscillations that appear and disappear in fixed points of space, as shown above. Source: StudySmarter.
To represent simple waves, we use the two simple mathematical functions of sine and cosine, which have cyclical oscillation patterns. You find these in all the mathematics linked to waves.
Figure 3. The sine and cosine functions are used to represent simple waves due to their oscillating behaviour. Source: StudySmarter.
The sine and cosine functions describe certain properties and characteristics that help us to understand waves:
Figure 4. Two very important parameters of a wave are its height (H) and wavelength (λ), both of which depend on its dimensions. Source: StudySmarter.
As waves represent a form of energy transmission, you can find them everywhere: in solid materials, in fluids, in the air, or in the vacuum of space. See the following examples of waves:
When waves are progressive in nature, they move from one place to another, as in the case of sea waves. However, in addition to this, sea waves also carry water with them. Progressive waves can also occur in the atmosphere.
Progressive waves, therefore, can transfer not only mass but also energy. To be precise, they transport kinetic energy as they move across the medium, causing it to vibrate up and down. Examples of this are ocean, sound, and seismic waves. The energy transfer, which is parallel to the movement of the wave, is easily seen as waves move from one place to another.
Waves can also appear in solid materials, in which case they act as seismic waves. These waves only transport energy within the material. If, for instance, you knock over a table, you can feel the vibrations inside the table with your hands. These vibrations are seismic waves propagating through its body.
A sound wave is a progressive mechanical wave in the air. Sound waves are longitudinal waves, as the oscillation is parallel to the direction of the movement.
A longitudinal wave is a wave whose direction of oscillation is parallel to its direction of propagation. Seismic waves are an example of longitudinal waves, as are the pressure changes in the air caused by sound waves.
A transverse wave is a wave whose oscillation is perpendicular to its propagation. An example of this is water waves whose up and down movements are perpendicular to their horizontal movement.
A wave is an energy transfer process in space and time. The movement of energy changes some of the properties of the space in which it moves. An example is sound waves, where the wave movement compresses and expands the air molecules as it passes.
To calculate a wave’s frequency, you need to find a fixed point in space and then measure the time it takes for two consecutive crests to pass that point. The time it takes for a wave to repeat its oscillation pattern is known as its period. To obtain the wave’s frequency, you need to take the inverse of this period, as shown in the formula below:
f=1/T
In this formula, ‘f’ is the frequency, while T is the period in seconds.
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