Chapter 13 and 21

Properties of waves
 Topics
 The nature of waves (Ch 13)

 Properties of Electromagnetic
Waves (Ch 21)

 The electromagnetic Spectrum

(Ch 21)
 Outcomes

 Define a wave.
 Explain the differences between transverse and
longitudinal waves.
 Indicate wavelength, period, frequency, amplitude of a
wave on applicable diagrams.
 Formulate propagating speed of a wave in terms of
frequency and wavelength.
 Explain the electromagnetic spectrum by means of a
diagram.
 Wave
 A wave is a travelling disturbance

 It transfers energy through a medium.

 they require
 Some source of disturbance

 A medium that can be disturbed

 Some physical connection between or mechanism

though which adjacent portions of the medium

influence each other
 Waveform – A Picture of a
Wave

Periodic waves consist of cycles or patterns that are produced

over and over again by the source.
The Nature of Waves
1. A wave is a traveling disturbance.
2. A wave carries energy from one place to another.

If a slinky is moved up then down, an upward pulse

is created and moves to the right

If a slinky is moved down then up, a downward pulse

is created and moves to the right

A slinky is moved up and down continuously,

a wave is created and moves to the right
Types of Waves –
Traveling Waves
 Flip one end of a
long rope that is
under tension and
fixed at one end
 The pulse travels
to the right with a
definite speed
 A disturbance of
this type is called
a traveling wave
 An upward pulse is created

Transverse waves and moves to the right

A downward pulse is created

One way of categorising waves is on the basis of the direction of the
and moves to the right
particles of the medium relative to the direction that the wave
travels
Transverse Waves

A slinky is moved up and down continuously,

a wave is created and moves to the right

A transverse wave is a wave in which the disturbance occurs

perpendicular to the direction that the wave travels
1. Guitar 2.Radio waves
3. Light waves 4.Microwaves
Types of Waves –
Transverse
 In a transverse wave, each element
that is disturbed moves in a direction
perpendicular to the wave motion
Longitudinal waves

Suppose a slinky is pushed forward and then pulled back in a

horizontal direction, the compressed region will move to the right

Suppose a slinky is pulled backward and then pushed forward in a

horizontal direction, the stretched region will move to the right

If the slinky is continuously moved back and forth,

a wave is created with a series of alternating compressed
and stretched regions and moves to the right
 Longitudinal waves

One way of categorising waves is on the basis of the direction

of the particles of the medium relative to the direction that
the wave travels

If the slinky is continuously moved back and forth,

a wave is created with a series of alternating compressed
and stretched regions and moves to the right

A Longitudinal wave is a wave in which the disturbance occurs

parallel to the direction that the wave travels
Types of Waves –
Longitudinal
 In a longitudinal wave, the elements of
the medium undergo displacements
parallel to the motion of the wave
 A longitudinal wave is also called a
compression wave
 Waveform – A Picture of a
Wave
 The brown curve is a
“snapshot” of the
wave at some
instant in time
 The blue curve is
later in time
 The high points are
crests of the wave
 The low points are
troughs of the wave
Longitudinal Wave
Represented as a Sine Curve
 A longitudinal wave can also be represented as
a sine curve
 Compressions correspond to crests and
stretches correspond to troughs
 Also called density waves or pressure waves
 Description of a wave

The amplitude A is the maximum excursion of a particle of the

medium from the particles undisturbed position.

The wavelength is the distance between two successive points that

behave identically.

The period is the time required for one complete cycle.

1
The frequency is the number of cycles per unit time f 
And is related to the period and has units of Hz, or s-1. T
Amplitude and Wavelength
 Amplitude is the
maximum
displacement of
string above or
below the
equilibrium position
 Wavelength, λ, is the
distance between
two successive
points that behave
identically
 Speed of a wave
• v = ƒλ
– Is derived from the basic
speed equation of
distance/time
• This is a general equation
that can be applied to many
types of waves


v  f
T
Section 13.8
 Description of a Wave
Lets consider a train moving at a constant speed. The train consist of a long line of
Identical boxcars, each boxcar has a wavelength and each box car pass you at a
certain time, so the speed of the train is given as


v
T
1
f 
T

v f
T
 Example
Example : The Wavelengths of Radio Waves
AM and FM radio waves are transverse waves consisting of electric
and magnetic field disturbances traveling at a speed of 3.00x10 8m/s.
A station broadcasts AM radio waves whose frequency is
1230x103Hz and an FM radio wave whose frequency is 91.9x106Hz.
Find the distance between adjacent crests in each wave.

 v
v  f 
T f
 Example

v 3.00  10 8 m s
AM    244 m
f 1230  10 Hz
3

v 3.00  108 m s
FM    3.26 m
f 91.9  10 Hz
6
 Activities
1. A woman is standing in the ocean, and she notices that after a wave
crest passes, five more crests pass in a time of 50.0 s. The distance
between two successive crests is 32 m. Determine, if possible, the
wave’s (a) period, (b) frequency, (c) wavelength, (d) speed, and (e)
amplitude. If it is not possible to determine any of these quantities,
then so state.
a. After the initial crest passes, 5 additional crests pass in a time of 50.0 s. The period T of the wave is T  50.0 s  10.0 s
5
b. Since the frequency f and period T are related by f = 1/T (Equation 10.5), we have f  1  1
 0.100 Hz
T 10.0 s
c. The horizontal distance between two successive crests is given as 32 m. This is also the wavelength l of the
wave, so
  32 m
d. According to Equation 16.1, the speed v of the wave isv  f    0.100 Hz 32 m   3.2 m/s

e. There is no information given, either directly or indirectly, about the amplitude of the wave. Therefore,
it is not possible to determine the amplitude.
 Activities
Tsunamis are fast-moving waves often generated by underwater
earthquakes. In the deep ocean their amplitude is barely noticeable, but upon
reaching shore, they can rise up to the astonishing height of a six-story
building. One tsunami, generated off the Aleutian islands in Alaska, had a
wavelength of 750 km and travelled a distance of 3700 km in 5.3 h.
(a)What was the speed of the wave? Find the wave’s (b) frequency and
(c) period.
x 3700  103 m  1 h 
a. The speed of the wave is (in m/s) v     190 m/s
t 5.3 h  3600 s 

v 190 m/s
b. The frequency of the wave is f    2.5  104 Hz
 3
750  10 m

c. The period of any wave is the reciprocal of its frequency: 1 1

T  4
 4.0  103 s
f 2.5  10 Hz
 Activity

1. Given period of 4s, Determine

Wavelength,
Amplitude,
Frequency,
and the speed of the wave.

2. A person lying on an air mattress in the ocean rises and falls through one
complete cycle every five seconds. The crests of the wave causing the motion
are 20.0 m apart. Determine (a) the frequency and (b) the speed of the wave.
 Activities
1. The displacement (in meters) of a wave is given according to
where t is in seconds and x is in meters,
(a)In which direction is the wave travelling?
(b)What is the displacement y when t = 38s and x = 13 m?

a. Comparing with Equations 16.3 and 16.4, we see that the wave travels in the
+x direction
b.The displacement at x = 13 m and t = 38 s is y  0.26 m  sin  38   3.7  13  0.080 m

2. A wave traveling in the + x direction has an amplitude of 0.35 m,

a speed of 5.2 m/s, and a frequency of 14 Hz. Write the equation of
 2 x 
the wave. y  A sin  2 ft 
  
2πf = 2π(14 Hz) = 88 rad/s

2 2 f 2 14 Hz 
   17 m 1
 
y   0.35 m  sin 88 rad/s  t  17 m 1
 x   v 5.2 m/s
 Activities
3. The drawing shows two graphs that represent a transverse wave.
The wave is moving in the + x direction. Using the information
contained in these graphs, Determine Wavelength, Amplitude,
Frequency, and the speed of the wave.

 2 x 
y  A sin  2 f t – and y  0.010 m  sin 10 t – 50 x 
  
 Electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic waves are waves which can travel
through the vacuum of outer space.

EM radiation is classified into types according to the

frequency of the wave: these types include, in order of
increasing frequency, radio waves, microwaves, infrared
radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and
gamma rays.
 Electromagnetic waves
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is a form of energy that is all
around us and takes many forms, such as radio waves,
microwaves, X-rays and gamma rays
 Electromagnetic waves
•Electromagnetic (EM) radiation is a form of energy that is propagated
through free space or through a material medium in the form of
electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves, visible light, and gamma
rays
•It is a kind of radiation in which electric and magnetic fields vary
simultaneously.

•the visible light that comes from a lamp in your house and the radio
waves that come from a radio station are two examples of
electromagnetic radiation.
 Electromagnetic waves

The figure represents an electromagnetic wave with the

electric field (E) in the y-direction, the magnetic field (H)
in the z-direction, and wave propagation in the x-direction
Properties of EM Waves
 Electromagnetic waves are transverse
waves.
 Electromagnetic waves travel at the
speed of light.

 Because EM waves travel at a speed that is

precisely the speed of light, light is an
electromagnetic wave.
Section 21.11
 Electromagnetic Waves
 Electromagnetic waves are composed of fluctuating electric
and magnetic fields.
 EM waves carry both energy and momentum, which can be
delivered to a surface.
 Electromagnetic waves come in various forms.
 These forms include
 Visible light
 Infrared
 Radio
 X-rays
Introduction
 The Spectrum of EM
Waves
 Forms of electromagnetic waves exist that are
distinguished by their frequencies and
wavelengths.
 c = ƒλ
 Wavelengths for visible light range from 400
nm to 700 nm.
 There is no sharp division between one kind of
EM wave and the next.

Section 21.12
The EM Spectrum
 Note the overlap
between types of
waves.
 Visible light is a
small portion of the
spectrum.
 Types are
distinguished by
frequency or
wavelength.

Section 21.12
Notes on The EM
Spectrum
 Radio Waves
 Used in radio and television communication
systems
 wavelengths from 1 millimeter to 100 kilometers.
 Microwaves
 Wavelengths from about 1 mm to 30 cm
 Well suited for radar systems
 Microwave ovens are an application

Section 21.12
Notes on the EM
Spectrum, 2
 Infrared waves
 Incorrectly called “heat waves”
 Produced by hot objects and molecules
 Wavelengths range from about 1 mm to 700 nm
 Readily absorbed by most materials
 Visible light
 Part of the spectrum detected by the human
eye
 Wavelengths range from 400 nm to 700 nm
 Most sensitive at about 560 nm (yellow-green)

Section 21.12
 Notes on the EM
Spectrum, 3
 Ultraviolet light
 Covers about 400 nm to 0.6 nm
 The Sun is an important source of uv light.
 Most uv light from the sun is absorbed in the
stratosphere by ozone.
 X-rays
 Wavelengths range from about 10 nm to 10-4 nm
 Most common source is acceleration of high-
energy electrons striking a metal target
 Used as a diagnostic tool in medicine

Section 21.12
Notes on the EM
Spectrum, Final
 Gamma rays
 Wavelengths from about 10-10 m to
10-14 m
 Emitted by radioactive nuclei
 Highly penetrating and cause serious
damage when absorbed by living
tissue

Section 21.12
 Examples
Examples: The Wavelength of Visible Light

1.Find the range in wavelengths for visible light in the frequency range
between 4.0x1014Hz and 7.9x1014Hz.

c 3 x108
  14
 7 .5 x10 7
 750nm
f 4 x10

c 3 x108
  14
 3.8 x10 7  380nm
f 7.9 x10

2. A truck driver is broadcasting at a frequency of 26.965 MHz with a CB (citizen’s

band) radio. Determine the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave being used.
3. Obtain the wavelengths in vacuum for (a) blue light whose frequency is 6.34 ×
1014 Hz, and (b) orange light whose frequency is 4.95 × 1014 Hz. Express your
answers in nanometers