Wave Meaning and Characteristics

Study Notes

A wave is an oscillating, regular distortion through spacetime.
Waves can be classified into two main categories: mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves.

Waves can be measured using their amplitude or frequency.
Frequency is the number of cycles of a wave per unit time, measured in Hertz (Hz).
Frequency can be calculated using the equation: f = 1/T, where T is the period of the wave.

Mechanical waves require a medium to propagate, examples include sound waves and seismic waves.
Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum, examples include radio waves, microwaves, and light waves.

Mechanical waves transfer energy back and forth from the medium they are traveling through.
There are three types of mechanical waves:
- Transverse waves: move perpendicularly to the direction of propagation, example is a sine wave.
- Compression waves (longitudinal waves): propagate through a medium by displacing it in a parallel direction.
- Torsional waves: displace the medium perpendicularly to the direction of propagation with rotational motion.

EM waves are composed of oscillating magnetic and electric fields.
EM waves do not need a medium to propagate through, but can travel through air, water, and earth.
EM waves can travel through a vacuum at the speed of light (c = 299,792,458 m/s).
EM waves have different wavelengths, ranging from gamma rays to radio waves, including X-rays, infrared light, ultraviolet radiation, and the visible spectrum.