WAVES

Wave motion
It is means of transferring energy and momentum from one point to another
without actual transportation of matter between two points.

Eg; when we throw a stone in a pond, ripples are formed. Water seems to be
coming in our direction, but actually it isn’t. If we place a cork on the ripples we
see that it doesn’t comes in our direction but it just moves up and down on same
place.

So we can conclude that in wave motion the disturbance travels from one point to
another but the medium doesn’t travel along the disturbance.

Types of waves on the basis of medium of propagation

MECHANICAL WAVES

These waves can be produced or propagated only in a material medium.It causes

oscillation of particles in the material medium i.e; solid, liquid or gas.
Eg; Ripples on the surface of water.

Electromagnetic waves

Also known as EM waves, they don’t require any kind of medium to

propagate.They can pass easily through vacuum.It causes oscillation of electric
and magnetic field.Eg; UV rays, light rays etc

.
 Types of waves

Transverse waves Longitudnal waves

~Transverse waves
In case of the transverse waves, the particles vibrate perpendicular to the
direction of the wave. The particles vibrate up and down manner.

Eg; Ripples in water, Wave produced on wiggling a rope or spring.

~Longitudnal waves
In longitudinal waves the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of propagation
of the wave.

Eg; sound travels in form of longitudinal waves.

Longitudnal waves travel through a medium in the form of Compression and

RAREFACTION.

Compression is the region of high pressure, here the particles are close to each
other.

Rarefaction is the region of low pressure,here the particles are far from each
other.

The particles transfer the energy but they themselves don’t get transferred.

https://youtu.be/iT4KAc0Ag1E

LONGITUDNAL WAVES TRANSVERSE WAVES

*Particle move parallel to the *Particles move perpendicular to

direction of wave. The direction of wave.

*One dimensional wave. *Two dimensional wave

Properties of waves

REST POINT: The undisturbed position of the particles when they aren’t vibrating.

DISPLACEMENT: The distance that a certain point in the medium has moved from
its rest position is called its displacement.

PEAK: The highest point above the rest position is known as peak or crest.

TROUGH: The lowest point below the rest point is called trough.

AMPLITUDE : The maximum displacement of a point of a wave from its rest

position.

WAVELENGTH : It is the distance covered by a full cycle of the wave ,usually

measured from peak to peak, or trough to trough.

TIME PERIOD(T): The time taken for a full cycle of the wave, usually measured
from peak to peak, or trough to trough.

FREQUENCY(f): The number of waves passing a point each second is called

frequency.It is measured in hertz.
Calculating the time period , frequency and speed of the
wave:

TIMEPERIOD: Time period= 1/Frequency

T=1/f

T is time period in seconds and f is frequency in Hertz.

Q ; Calculate time period of a wave with the frequency 500Hz.

WAVE SPEED:

Speed of any object as we know is distance travelled per unit time, similarly
the speed of wave can be calculated as follows-

Wave speed =frequecny*wavelength

f*
Frequency (measured in Hertz

Wavelength(measured in metre
Nature of waves when they encounter an obstacle

On encountering any kind of obstacle the wave shows this type of behavior:

1. Absorption: The wave gets totally or partially absorbed by the media.

2. Reflection: The wave when strikes the polished surface, it bounces back,
this process is called reflection.
3. Refraction: While travelling from one media to another the speed of the
wave changes, due to which the wave bends .This process is called
refraction.

Reflection
Reflection of wave is a phenomenon of bouncing back of the wave .The wave gets
reflected back on the boundary of two medias.

The reflection of light on a palne mirror forms image, similarly reflection of sound
causes echo.
LAW OF REFLECTION

1. It states that angle of incidence =angle of refraction.

2. All the rays incident ray, reflected ray ,normal and the interface all lie in the
same plane.

NOTE= Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection

Reflection is of two types

Depending on the surface it strikes

1.Specular Reflection: Reflection from a smooth flat surface is called specular

reflection.This is type of reflection that happens with the plane mirror.The image
formed by the plane mirror is Virtual,Erect,Same length and Laterally inverted.
2. DIFFUSED REFLECTION: If the surface of the media is rough , the light diffuses in
all the directions which forms a distorted image of the object.

Eg; image formed in moving water .

Refraction of waves
The phenomenon of bending of light when it travels from one medium to
another.Hence we can say that while travelling from one medium to another the
light changes its path this process is called refraction.

The process of refraction takes place only at the interface of two medias.After
crossing the interface the light again travels along the straight path.
Angle of incidence is not equal to the angle of refraction.

Why refraction takes place?

The refraction takes place because the speed of the wave changes when it travels
from one medium to another.

As we can see in the given image the Right hand side of the wave slows down
before the left hand side does. This causes the wave to bend.

Wave speed= 

As the Wave speed decreases the wavelength of the wave also decreases as
they are directly proportional.

IN WHICH DIRECTION DOES THE WAVE BENDS?

The wave may bend towards or away from the normal depending on the nature
of the medium.

Mediums are of two type depending on the speed of wave in them.

Rarer medium: The medium in which the wave travels with the higher speed as
compared to others is called rarer medium.

Denser medium: The medium in which the wave travels with the lower speed as
compared to others is called denser medium.

The wave bends towards the normal when its speed reduces as it travels from
rarer to denser medium.

The wave bends away from the normal when its speed increases as it travels
from denser medium to the rarer medium.
FAST:
It is the trick which helps us to memorise the bending of the light.

 If the speed of light is FAST (increases) the wave moves AWAY the normal.
 If the speed of light is SLOW (decreases) the wave moves TOWARDS the
normal.