Waves

4th form Physics Class


In physics, a wave is a disturbance or oscillation that travels through space-time, accompanied by a transfer of energy. Wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass transport. They consist, instead, of oscillations or vibrations around almost fixed locations. Waves are described by a wave equation which sets out how the disturbance proceeds over time. The mathematical form of this equation varies depending on the type of wave.

Waves are produced whenever vibrations (or oscillations) disturb a medium. A wave is a means of transferring energy (and information) between two points i.e. a wave is a travelling disturbance carrying energy from one place to another place. Waves may be Mechanical or electromagnetic.
Mechanical Waves are waves which propagate through a material medium (solid, liquid, or gas) at a wave speed which depends on the elastic and inertial properties of that medium. There are two basic types of wave motion for mechanical waves: longitudinal waves and transverse waves.
In a longitudinal wave the particle displacement is parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

In a transverse wave the particle displacement is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.