Waves
All notes provided by Alyse Consiglio of LaBrae Middle School
Wave
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A disturbance that carries energy through
matter or space
Medium — the matter through which a
wave travels.
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The actual medium is not moving; it just has
energy moving through it.
Name the Medium
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Waves on a pond
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Sound from speakers

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Water
Air
Seismic Waves

Earth
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Waves that require a medium are
called mechanical waves.
Electromagnetic waves do not
require a medium.
Wave Movement
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Waves travel from their point of
origin equally in all directions.
Energy spreads out as it moves
away from the point of origin,
decreasing in intensity as it
spreads.
Simple Harmonic Motion
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A mass on a spring can bounce up
and down forever (neglecting
friction).
This repeating cycle is simple
harmonic motion, or SHM.
Two Types of Waves
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Transverse — Particles in medium
move perpendicular to the
movement of energy
Longitudinal — Particles in medium
move parallel
Surface Waves
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Move differently because they occur
at the boundary between two
media.
Particles move in circles.