Types of Waves
Learning targets
Students will identify the different types of waves.
Students will compare and contrast different waves and their mediums.
Wave - a repeating distrubance that tranfers energy as it travels through matter or space
Medium- matter through which a wave travels
Mechanical Wave - a wave that can only travel through matter
Electromanetic Wave - waves created by vibrating electric charges; consists of vibrating electric and magnetic fields, and can travel through a vaccum or through matter
Transverse Wave - wave in which the matter in the medium moves at right angles to the direction of the wave, has crests and troughs
Longitudinal Wave - a wave in which the matter in the medium moves back and forth along the direction that the wave travels -
Surface Wave - a seismic wave that travels along or parallel to the earth's surface (distinguised from body wave)
Longitudinal and Transverse Waves
Both Longitudinal and Transverse waves travel through meduims and are both obviously types of waves. Longitudinal waves travel well through any medium, however, transverse waves travel best through solids. An example of a longitudinal wave would be sound waves, and an example of transverse waves would be a ripple in a pond.
Mechanicle and Electromagnetic waves
Mechanicle waves are waves that can only travel through matter, but, electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum or any object with matter. A vacuum is a place with an abscence of matter. An example of a mechanicle wave would be a sound wave, and an example of electromagnetic waves would be x-ray waves or gamma waves.
Surface Waves
Surface waves are waves that travel ON the Earths surface but not through it. They are mostly vibrations. An example of this would be an earthquake.
All waves are either mechanical or electromagnetic waves. Mechanical waves require a meadium, however, electromagnetic waves do not. Mechanical waves are broken up into two groups, longitudinal and transverse, and Electromagnetic waves include many different types such as light, microwaves, infrared, x-rays, ect,
Video
Not every wave is the same, and waves carry their energy through different mediums that make it different. Mechanicle waves require a medium, however, electromagnetic waves don't and they travel through a vacuum