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WAVES I

Table of Contents
Characteristics of wave motion
Phase and phase difference Connections
Speed Building on…
• Force
Revision Exercise 8
• Hooke’s Law

Specific Objectives Arriving at …

By the end of this topic, the learner should be able to: • Describing types of
waves and pulses – and
a) describe the formation of pulses and waves
how they are formed.
b) describe transverse and longitudinal waves
• Describing waves in
c) define amplitude(a), wavelength (λ), frequency
terms of amplitude,
(f) and periodic time(T) of a wave
wavelength, frequency
d) derive the relation v = fλ
and periodic time.
e) solve numerical problems involving v = fλ • Deriving and working
out calculations involving
(14 Lessons) thr wave relation v= fλ

Content Looking forward to….

• Sound (I)
1. Pulses and waves
• Waves (II)
2. Transverse and longitudinal waves
• Work, Energy, Power
3. Amplitude (a), Wavelength (λ ), frequency (f), periodic time
and Machines
(T)
4. The wave relation, v = fλ
5. Problems involving v = fλ

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 -2- Waves

WAVES I

A wave is the transmission of a disturbance.

Examples of waves are water waves, sound waves and waves on a slinky spring.

Classification of waves
Waves can be classified as electromagnetic in nature or mechanical.

(a) Electromagnetic waves

Electromagnetic waves do not require material medium for transmission, e.g, radio
waves, radiant heat, light and microwaves.

(b) Mechanical Waves

Mechanical waves require material medium for transmission. This transmission is effected
by the vibration of the particles in the medium. Examples are water waves and sound waves.
Mechanical waves can be either transverse or longitudinal.

(i) Transverse Waves

In transverse waves, the vibration of the particles is at right
angles to the direction of wave travel.
Water waves, waves on a string and electromagnetic waves
(light, radio, microwaves) are examples of transverse waves.

To illustrate the formation of transverse waves, a

slinky spring or a rope may be used. The spring or rope
is stretched along a smooth floor or bench top. One end
is attached to a rigid support while the other end is held
in the hand. The end held in the hand is swung up and
down at right angles to the spring or rope.
Such a wave travels as a series of crests and troughs
as shown alongside.

(ii) Longitudinal Waves

In longitudinal waves, the vibration of the particles is in
a direction parallel to the direction of the wave travel.
Examples of longitudinal waves are sound waves.

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 WAVES (I) -3-

To illustrate the formation of a longitudinal wave, a slinky spring may be used. The spring is
stretched along a smooth floor or bench top. One end is fixed to a rigid support and the other
held in the hand. This end is vibrated in a to-and-fro movement continually along its length.

The continuous to and fro movements at one end

result in the formation of sections of compression
alternating with rarefactions along the length of the
spring as shown alongside.
The wave motion affects the inter-particle spacing.
Particles in the sections of compression are pushed
closer together while those in the sections of
rarefactions are pulled slightly farther apart.
Variation in inter-particle separation is accompanied by variation in pressure, so that
sections under compression are at a higher pressure while those under rarefaction
are at low pressure. This pressure variation causes the wave motion.

Progressive Waves
These are waves that move continually away from the source. They can be transverse or
longitudinal.
If a long slinky spring is continuously vibrated at one end, the waves move forward, carrying the
energy of the vibrations along its length.
Similarly, if a stone is dropped onto a water surface, the resulting water waves move outwards,
carrying the energy of the impact away from the source.
As the wave moves away from the source, the energy is spread over an increasingly large
area. This causes gradual decrease in its amplitude.

Pulses
A pulse is generated when a single vibration is sent through a medium. It can be
transverse or longitudinal in nature.
Wave trains are generated as a result of continuous vibrations at a constant rate in a
medium.
The medium is distorted into repeated patterns of crests alternating with troughs for a
transverse wave as shown in (a).

For the longitudinal wave train (b) , the medium is set into repeated patterns of
sections of compression alternating with those of rarefaction.
 -4- Waves

Characteristics of Wave Motion

The characteristics of wave motion can be explained with reference to the oscillatory motion of
a mass attached to a spring or that of the bob of a swinging pendulum as in (a) and (b).
Consider the mass at rest at the end of a spiral
spring (position M). If the mass is depressed
slightly to position N and released, it
oscillates up and down about the mean
position M. One complete oscillation occurs
when the mass moves through positions N-
M-L-M-N, i.e., when it has returned to its
starting position and is moving in the same
direction.
If, for example, the mass starts at M, then M-
N-M is not a complete oscillation. This is
because although the mass has returned to its
starting position, it is moving in the opposite
direction.
For the pendulum, the bob makes a complete oscillation when, after an initial displacement to,
say, position X, it swings through X-Y-Z-Y-X,.
If the mass in (a) takes two seconds to make a complete oscillation, a sketch of displacement-
time for the motion will appear as in the figure
below.
Similar graph would be obtained for the swinging
pendulum.

The displacement-time graph is a sine curve similar

to the profile of transverse waves

Terms associated with waves

Amplitude
The amplitude (A) of a wave is the maximum
displacement on either side of the mean
position. Its SI unit is the metre.

In figure (a) below, the amplitude is the distance LM

or MN while in (b), the amplitude is distance XY or
YZ.

Frequency
The frequency (f) of a wave is the number of complete oscillations made by a particle
in one second. The unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz) or cycles per second.

@VictorVC
 WAVES (I) -5-

Period
The period T of oscillation is the time taken by a particle to complete one oscillation.
The S1 unit of period is the second (s).

In the figure alongside, the particle takes 2 s to go

through 1 complete oscillation and its period is
therefore 2 seconds.

It follows that f = , thus, the frequency for the

oscillation shown is;

Phase and Phase Difference

Waves can be of the same amplitude but
different frequency as shown below.

Particles in wave motion can be in phase

even though they have different amplitude.
The resulting displacement-time graphs are
shown below.
The wave with higher frequency has a
smaller period.
Similarly, waves with same frequency but
different are amplitude shown below.

Waves which are always on opposite levels

of displacement in their oscillations and
moving in opposite directions are said to be
Particles in a wave motion which happen
opposite in phase (180° phase difference) as
to be oscillating in the same direction shown below.
and at the same level of displacement
in their oscillation are said to be in
phase.
The displacement-time graphs for
particles in phase are identical as shown
below.

The oscillations can be at other levels of

phase difference.
 -6- Waves

For example, the displacement-time graph

shown below represents oscillations which
are 90° out of phase.

This simplifies to v = fλ
NB: While the rate of vibration of the source
. determines the frequency of the waves, the
speed in a given medium is constant.
Wavelength
From the relationship v = fλ, an increase
The wavelength, λ, is the distance in frequency results in a decrease in
between two points on a wave train which wavelength.
are in phase.

It may also be defined as the distance

between two successive crests or
troughs in a transverse wave or the
distance between two successive Worked Examples
rarefactions or compressions in a 1. Waves on a spring are produced at the
longitudinal wave. rate 20 wavelength every 5 s.
(a) Find the frequency of the wave
The SI unit for wavelength is the metre.
motion.
Speed (b) If the wavelength of the waves is
0.01 m, find the speed of the waves.
The speed v is the distance covered by (c) Find the period of the waves.
a wave in one second. Its SI unit is
Solutions
metres per second.

Relationship Between Speed,

Wavelength and Frequency
Suppose the period of a wave is T. Then,
the distance covered in time T is λ.

(b) Using v = fλ,

@VictorVC
 WAVES (I) -7-

v = 4 × 0.01
= 0.04 ms–1

2.The figure below shows a wave form in a string. The numbers in the diagram shows the
scale in centimeters. The speed of the wave is 10.0 ms-1.
With the reference to this wave motion, determine the:
(a) Wavelength
(b) Amplitude
(c) Frequency
(d) Period of the oscillation

Solution
(a) Wavelength = 40 cm
(b) Amplitude = 5 cm
(c) From f = fλ;

Review Exercise
1. (a) Explain the following terms; progressive wave, wavelength, frequency and amplitude.
(b) State the equation relating speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave.
2. Give examples of transverse and longitudinal waves. What is the main difference between
these two types of waves?
3. What ripples are caused to travel across the surface of a shallow tank by means of a
straight vibrator. The distance between successive crests is 3.0 cm and the waves travel 25.2
cm in 1.25 seconds. Calculate the wavelength and the velocity of the waves. Find also the
frequency of the vibrator..
4. The diagram below shows a displacement-position graph for a slinky spring as it is
continually vibrated at one end:
(a) What type of waves are generated in the
slinky?
(b) What is the:
(i) Amplitude of displacement?
(ii) Wavelength of the waves?
(c) In the same diagram, show the waveform
when:
(i) The rate of vibration is doubled.
(ii) The amplitude is halved.
(d) On the same axes, draw a waveform whose vibration is opposite in phase and the
amplitude half the one shown.
 -8- Waves

Recently in KCSE…..
1. Figure 5, shows how the displacement of a point varies with time as a
wave passes it.

On the same diagram, draw a wave which passes the point with half the amplitude
and twice the frequency of the one shown. (2mks)
2. a) Figure 12, shows a displacement –time graph for a progressive wave.
Displacement (cm)

i. State the amplitude of the wave

ii. Determine the frequency of the wave
iii. Given that the velocity of the wave is 20ms-1 , determine its
wavelength
3. State two differences between electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves.
4. Figure 3 shows how the displacement of a point varies with time as a wave
passes it

figure 3

@VictorVC
 WAVES (I) -9-

On the same diagram, draw a wave which passes the point with half the
amplitude and twice the frequency of the one shown.
(2 mks)

5. Explain why the walls of a studio are padded with woollen materials. (2

marks)

6. Figure 10 shows a displacement—distance graph for a certain wave motion.

displacement (cm)

i. Indicate on the figure with letters A and B any two points that are in phase. (1
mark)
ii. Determine the:(1 marks)
iv. amplitude of the wave(1 marks)
v. wavelength of the wave(1 marks)
iii. Given that the frequency of the waves is 50 Hz, determine the:
1. period (1 marks)
2. speed of the wave (3 marks
7. Figure 3 shows a transverse wave.

Determine the frequency of the wave. (2 marks)

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 - 10 - Waves

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