Midterm waves test

Wavespeed (speed/time &

frequency x wavelength & on a
string)
• v (wavespeed in m/s) = f (frequency in Hz) * λ (wavelength in m)
• Wavespeed (v): How fast the wave travels, in m/s
• Frequency (f): Number of cycles
• String example: Imagine a vibrating string, the faster the string
vibrates (frequency), the closer together are the crests (shorter
wavelength). This results in the wave to travel at a faster speed.
Hence, a slower vibration (frequency) with longer wavelengths will
travel slower
Wave features
• Amplitude: Heigh of the wave peaks from the equilibrium. The higher
the amplitude the more energy is carried by the wave
• Wavelength: Horizontal distance between two identical points.
• Frequency: Describes how often the wave repeats itsself, its
measured in Hz (1/s). Higher frequency indicated a faster oscillating
wave
• Period: Inverse of the Frequency (T=1/f), it’s the time the wave takes
to complete a cycle to pass a point, or how long it takes to repeat
itself. A high period corresponds with a high frquency
Transverse
waves
• Transverse waves are waves in which
the particle moves through the
medium perpendicular to the waves
propagation
• So the displacement of the medium is
perpendicular to the direction(e.g
guitar string)
• Examples for transverse waves are
Guitar strings, light waves or seismis s-
waves
Longitudional waves
• Longitudional waves are waves where the
particles in the medium more parallel to
the direction of the waves propagation
• The displacement is parallel to its direction
• Examples include sound waves, seismis P-
waves or compression waves in springs
Standing waves
• Standing waves are waves which form
when two waves of the same frequency
and amplitude are travelling in opposite
directions
• In a standing wave certain points appear
to be standing still (nodes) while others
appear to have maximum displacement
(antinodes)
• Standing waves occur in system with
boundaries where the waves reflect upon
themselves, examples include resonance
in air columns or electromagnetic
resonances
Snells law
• n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2)
• Where
• n1 = refractive index of the first
medium
• n2 = refractive index of the second
medium
• θ1 = angle between the incident ray
and the normal to interfere
• θ2 = angle between the refracted ray
and the normal to interfere
Snells law: Refraction
• Refraction is the bending of light as it
passes from one to the next medium with a
different refractive index. It occurs because
the wave changes speed when it enters
another mediumθwith a different refractive
index, causing it to change direction
Snells law: total internal
refraction
• TIR occur when a light ray traveling from a
medium with a higher refractive index into
a medium with a lower refractive index
strike the interface between these two with
a greater angle than the critical angle(see
next slide), causing the light ray to
completely be refracted
Snells Law: critical angle
• The critical angle is the angle where a lightray can hit the boundary
between the two mediums and still enter. If the angle of incidence is
bigger than the critical angle, the light will completely be refracted
• The relationship between the critical angle and thee two mediums is
given by θc = sin^-1(n1/n2)
Diffraction
• Diffraction is a phenomena that happens
when waves bend around a obstacle or
spread out after passing through narrow
openings. It applies to: Light waves, Sound
waves, Water waves, etc
• Diffraction can be explained using Huygens
principle where every point on the
wavefront can be considered as secondary
wavelets that spread out in all directions.
The interference between these two show
the diffraction pattern. (prob not worth to
learn)
Polarisation
• Polarization refers to the orientation of oscillators in the wave
associated with transverse waves
• Example Unpolarized light: Image a jump rope, when u shake it up and down, the wave travels along the rope and the rope itself moves perpendicularely,
up and down, to that direction. This is how unpolarized light moves

• Polarization: Light can be polarized to filter out all the vibrations

except for those that go into a specific direction
• Example polarized light: Imagine holding a thin wood slat infront of the jump rope to only allow it to move up and down. The slat is analog for a
polarization filter, where it only emits light vibrating into one specific direction

• I ∝ A² (Light Intensity (I) is proportional to the Amplitude

(A) squared, if you increase the light intensity, the
amplitude gets increased squared)
Brewsters angle
• θB = arctan(n1/n2)
• Where θB is brewsters angle, n1 and n2 the refractive indexes of the first and
second medium respectively
• Polarization: When light strikes a surface, it can reflect and transmit.
The Reflected light is partially polarized, meaning its electric field
oscillates in one specific direction. Brewsters angle is the angle at
which the reflected light become completely polarized, with the
electric field oscillating perpendicular to the plane containing the
incidence ray and the normal to the surface