Wave Properties: Amplitude, Wavelength, Frequency

• Science encompasses the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
• It is a constantly evolving field that refines existing knowledge and discovers new insights.

Wave Properties

• Waves are disturbances that transfer energy through a medium or space, without causing permanent displacement of the medium.
• Amplitude is the maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position, indicating the wave's intensity.
• Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive identical points on a wave, such as crest to crest or trough to trough
• Frequency is the number of complete wave cycles that pass a point in a given unit of time, usually measured in Hertz (Hz).
• Period is the time required for one complete wave cycle to pass a point.
• Wave speed is the rate at which a wave travels through a medium, determined by the medium's properties.
• Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
• Longitudinal waves oscillate parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

Sound Waves

• Sound waves are longitudinal waves caused by vibrations in a medium, such as air, water, or solids.
• They consist of compressions (regions of high pressure) and rarefactions (regions of low pressure).
• The speed of sound varies depending on the medium's properties, such as density and elasticity, and temperature.
• The human ear perceives frequency as pitch; higher frequency corresponds to higher pitch.
• Intensity of a sound wave determines its loudness; greater intensity corresponds to louder sound.
• Sound waves can reflect off surfaces (echoes), refract when passing through different mediums, and diffract around obstacles.
• Sound waves can interfere constructively (increasing amplitude) or destructively (decreasing amplitude).

Electromagnetic Spectrum

• The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum includes all types of EM radiation, arranged by frequency and wavelength.
• EM waves are transverse waves that do not require a medium to propagate; they can travel through a vacuum.
• Radio waves have the longest wavelengths and lowest frequencies, used in communication and broadcasting.
• Microwaves are used in cooking, communication, and radar, with shorter wavelengths than radio waves.
• Infrared radiation is associated with heat and is used in thermal imaging and remote controls.
• Visible light is the narrow range of EM radiation that humans can see, consisting of different colors corresponding to different wavelengths.
• Ultraviolet radiation has shorter wavelengths than visible light and can cause sunburns and skin damage.
• X-rays can penetrate soft tissues and are used in medical imaging and security scanning.
• Gamma rays have the shortest wavelengths and highest frequencies, produced by nuclear reactions and used in cancer treatment.
• The energy of EM radiation is directly proportional to its frequency: higher frequency means higher energy.

Wave Interference

• Wave interference occurs when two or more waves overlap in the same space, resulting in a new wave pattern.
• Constructive interference happens when waves are in phase (crests align with crests), resulting in a wave with increased amplitude.
• Destructive interference happens when waves are out of phase (crests align with troughs), resulting in a wave with decreased amplitude.
• When two identical waves interfere destructively, they can cancel each other out completely.
• Interference patterns can be observed with all types of waves, including sound waves, water waves, and electromagnetic waves.
• Interference is used in various applications, such as noise-canceling headphones and optical coatings.
• The amount of interference depends on the phase difference between the interfering waves.
• In phase waves reinforce each other, while out of phase waves cancel each other.