Waves Concept map

Waves Wave Length Frequency Period Amplitude Formulas Velocity = Wave length / Period Period = 1 / Frequency This also works out to be: Wave length(λ) x Frequency The Two Main types of Waves There are many different types of waves, but the two main types of waves are longitudinal and transverse. Transverse Waves Transverse Waves can be shown via examples such as water waves, waves of light that come from the sun, UV waves and also Infared waves. The difference between the sun, UV, Infared and water waves, is that the latter needs matter to pass through matter, whereas the other three can pass through vacuums unaffected. These two different waves are called electromagnetic and transverse matter waves. This is an example of the many different types of waves UV Infared Water Waves Light Radiation Longitudinal Waves Longitudinal waves can be shown via examples such as sound or seismic waves. Longitudinal waves are also known as compression waves, as they sort of act like the balls of Newton's Cradle, needing to pass motion along. Another way of describing the way that Longitudinal waves travel is the poplar game, Chinese Whispers, as each person takes the message to the next in line. This is why sound cannot be heard in space, as it needs air molecules to pass through in order to be heard, and as space is a vacuum, this does not work. Seismic waves also work this way, travelling through the Earth's surface. This is another example of the many types of waves. Seismic Waves Sound Waves By Jason Lun 9e