Term 2 Week 6 2021

  Homework:

• Act 15A, p. 173-176, Particles and Half-Life
• Act 16A, p. 181, Nuclear Reactions
• Act 5A, p,53, Pulses and Waves
• Worksheet on Superposition and Reflection

Basic Properties of Waves

waves transfer energy through a medium without transferring the medium itself

• Cycle - a basic repeating unit in a wave
• Amplitude A (m) - the distance from the middle point to the top of a crest, or bottom of a trough
• Wavelength 𝜆 (m) - the distance/length of one cycle
• Period T (s = s per cycle) - the time it takes for one cycle to pass a point
• Frequency f (Hz = cycles per second) - the number of cycles that pass in one second

T = 1/f & f = 1/T

• Wave Speed v (ms-1) the speed of a wave

v = 𝜆/T & v = f𝜆

Wave Properties

Frequency & Period

Wave Phase

Pendulum Waves

Longitudinal Waves

particle displacement in the medium is parallel to the direction of wave propagation e.g. sound waves, primary earthquake waves

Transverse Waves

particle displacement in the medium is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation e.g. light and other electromagnetic waves, secondary earthquake waves

• Superposition of Waves: two waves traveling through each other will not change each other motion in any way, but they will add to one another when they overlap
• Constructive Interference - Reinforcement - In Phase
• Destructive Interference - Cancellation - Out of Phase

PhET Waves on a String App - link

Reflection on A String

Hard Boundary

Wave reflects on opposite side (opposite phase)

Same Amplitude, A

Same Wavelength, 𝛌

Same Wave Speed, v

Reflection on A String

Soft Boundary

Wave reflects on same side (same phase)

Same Amplitude, A

Same Wavelength, 𝛌

Same Wave Speed, v

Refraction on A String

Fast to Slow Boundary

Relation of waves to Incident Wave

Reflected Wave - same speed - same wavelength 𝛌 - opposite phase

Refracted Wave - slower speed - smaller wavelength 𝛌 - same phase

Refraction on A String

Slow to Fast Boundary

Relation of waves to Incident Wave

Reflected Wave - same speed - same wavelength 𝛌 - same phase

Refracted Wave - faster speed - larger wavelength 𝛌 - same phase