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Objectives
Wave interactions
• Examine and describe wave propagation.

• Investigate behaviors of waves: reflection, refraction,

and diffraction.

• Describe the role of wave characteristics and behaviors

in medical and industrial applications.

Assessment Assessment
1. Define the following events as fitting one of the wave-boundary 2. A water wave moves from deep to shallow water.
interactions. Use each term (reflection, refraction, absorption,
and diffraction) once. Describe changes that occur to the following characteristics of
the wave as it crosses a boundary from deep to shallow water:
a. Tarmac heats up on a sunny day.
a. wave speed
b. A magnifying glass enlarges an image.
b. wavelength
c. Waves curve around a boulder in the water.
a. frequency
d. A yell echoes off a building.

Assessment Physics terms

3. Wave behaviors and characteristics:
• crest • reflection
a. Describe the wave behavior that allows you to hear
sound from another room through a crack in the door. • trough • refraction

• wavefront • diffraction
b. Describe the wave characteristic that makes radio
transmission possible. • propagation • absorption

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Equations Describing waves

A crest represents all the high
points in a wave.
wave speed:
A trough is all the low points in
the wave.

Representing waves Propagation

The crest of a wave is sometimes To propagate is to spread out
called a wavefront. and grow.

In these figures, wavefronts are Waves propagate outwards

shown in dark blue. from their source, carrying both
energy and information.
Waves propagate in a direction
perpendicular to their wavefronts. How do waves propagate?

Animated illustration, page 418

How do waves propagate? Exploring the ideas

Waves propagate because of connections between
the particles in the wave medium. In Investigation 15B you will
explore wave propagation
A disturbance in one place causes a disturbance in and wave interactions in a
the adjacent matter, such as in this water wave below. simulated ripple tank.

The simulation displays

wave behavior using a
wavefront representation.

Click the simulation

on page 421.

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Investigation Investigation
Part 1: Investigate reflection Questions for Part 1
1. Press [Run] to watch the a. Sketch a plane wave reflecting
waves propagate. from a straight wall. How does
the wave direction change?
2. Change wavelength and/or
frequency. Press [Run] to b. Sketch a plane wave reflecting
see the new simulation. from an angled wall. How does
the wave direction change?
3. Repeat the simulation for
three different boundaries: c. Sketch a plane wave reflecting
• angled wall from a concave wall and a
• curved concave wall convex wall.
• curved convex wall

Investigation Investigation
Part 2: Investigate refraction, diffraction, and interference Part 2: Investigate refraction, diffraction, and interference
1. Investigate refraction of plane 4. Investigate absorption using
waves for flat and angled a flat boundary.
boundaries.
5. Investigate interference
2. Investigate diffraction of using two circular waves.
plane waves around a half
wall, and through single and
Answer the questions on
double gaps.
your student assignment.
3. Investigate diffraction by
varying the wavelength for
the single-gap wall.

Reflection Boundaries
Reflection occurs for both Reflection occurs at boundaries
longitudinal and transverse waves. where conditions change—such
as the edge of a pool or a wall in
Reflection causes a wave to a room.
change direction, and may also
change its shape. The kind of reflection that occurs
depends on whether the
boundary is fixed or open.

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Fixed boundaries Open boundaries

A fixed boundary does NOT move in response to a wave. An open boundary allows the end of the spring to move freely.

The wave pulse reflects on the opposite side of the spring. The wave reflects on the same side of the spring as the incident wave.

Curved boundaries Is reflection useful?

Curved boundaries alter both the Reflection is used in many technologies.
shape and direction of a wavefront.
• Concave reflectors are employed
• They can turn plane waves extensively in communications
into circular waves that technology such as satellite dish
converge at a point. receivers.

• They can also change the • This convex reflector provides an

curvature of a circular wave. expanded view for a bus driver.

• Concave reflectors are also used to

focus the headlights of cars.

Refraction Refraction of a water wave

A-B moves A-C moves
Refraction occurs when a wave Waves move fast slower in slower in
changes speed at a boundary, in deep water. shallow water. shallow water.
resulting in a change of direction.

Water waves refract if the depth

changes.
Shallow
They refract because they move (slow)
slower in shallow water than in
deep water.

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Refraction and direction Refraction and direction

Refraction changes the direction of a wave. Refraction changes the direction of a wave.

Refraction and wavelength Refraction and wavelength

Refraction also changes the wavelength Refraction also changes the wavelength
of a wave. of a wave.

Notice: as the wave slows down, its

wavelength gets shorter.

Refraction and frequency All waves refract

Recall: Refraction occurs for both transverse
and longitudinal waves.
When wave velocity changes during
refraction, the wavelength also changes. • Light waves are transverse waves.
Light refracts when it changes speed
But frequency CAN’T change: passing from air to water.
Every wave that enters the boundary
• Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
must exit the boundary. Therefore, the
Sound refracts when it changes speed
number of waves per second must stay
constant. passing from cool air into warm air.

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Is refraction useful? Diffraction

Refraction is important in many Diffraction is a property of waves that allows them
technologies: to bend around obstacles and pass through gaps.

• In optical systems such as

cameras, telescopes, and eye
glasses, lenses refract light waves. Diffraction often
changes the direction
• Ultrasound imaging detects and shape of a wave.
changes in tissue density by
reflecting AND refracting very high
frequency sound waves.

Diffraction A paradox
Longer wavelengths = more bending. You are around the corner
from a lamp and a speaker.

Sound and light are both

waves, and both can diffract.

You can hear the speaker but

not see the lamp. Why?

you are
When the wavelength is large When the wavelength is small relative here
compared to the gap, the waves to the gap, there is less diffraction and
diffract in complete arcs. a larger “shadow zone”.

Diffraction Is diffraction useful?

Longer wavelengths = more bending.
Radio waves have long wavelengths
(10 to 1000 m long). This allows them to
• Sound waves diffract around corners
diffract around obstacles such as mountains.
because sound waves have long
wavelengths of centimeters to meters.

• Light waves also diffract, but their

wavelength is much smaller (~10-5 cm),
so the diffraction is imperceptibly small.
Light casts sharp shadows.

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Diffraction in technology Assessment

1. Define the following events as fitting one of the wave-boundary
Radio waves have long wavelengths interactions. Use each term (reflection, refraction, absorption, and
(10 to 1000 m long). This allows them to diffraction) once.
diffract around obstacles such as mountains.
a. Tarmac heats up on a sunny day.

b. A magnifying glass enlarges an image.

Cell phones use much shorter wavelengths
(6 – 12 cm), so cell phone transmissions c. Waves curve around a boulder in the water.
diffract (spread) less. You need line-of-sight
from the phone to the tower for transmission. d. A yell echoes off a building.

Assessment Assessment
1. Define the following events as fitting one of the wave-boundary 2. A water wave moves from deep to shallow water.
interactions. Use each term (reflection, refraction, absorption, and
diffraction) once. Describe changes that occur to the following
characteristics of the wave as it crosses the
a. Tarmac heats up on a sunny day. absorption boundary from deep to shallow water:

a. A magnifying glass enlarges an image. refraction a. wave speed

b. Waves curve around a boulder in the water. diffraction b. wavelength

c. A yell echoes off a building. reflection a. frequency

Assessment Assessment
2. A water wave moves from deep to shallow water. 3. Wave behaviors and characteristics:

Describe changes that occur to the following a. Describe the wave behavior that allows you to hear
characteristics of the wave as it crosses the sound from another room through a crack in the door.
boundary from deep to shallow water:

a. wave speed The wave speed decreases.

a. Describe the wave characteristic that makes radio
b. wavelength The wavelength decreases. transmission possible.

a. frequency The wave frequency does NOT change.

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Assessment Assessment
3. Wave behaviors and characteristics: 3. Wave behaviors and characteristics:

a. Describe the wave behavior that allows you to hear a. Describe the wave behavior that allows you to hear
sound from another room through a crack in the door. sound from another room through a crack in the door.
Diffraction causes sound waves to spread through Diffraction causes sound waves to spread through
a door, so you can hear from another room. a door, so you can hear from another room.

a. Describe the wave characteristic that makes radio a. Describe the wave characteristic that makes radio
transmission possible. transmission possible.
Radio waves have long wavelengths that allow
them to bend (diffract) around obstacles.