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Wave

Key Stage 3

Meaning

A wave is a vibration that transfers energy from one location to another.

About Waves

Waves can transmit energy and information from one place to another.
Waves travel through a medium that allows the vibration.

When a wave meets a boundary between two materials it can be:

There are two types of wave; transverse and longitudinal.
In longitudinal waves the vibration is in the same direction as the energy transfer.
In transverse waves the vibration is perpendicular to the direction as the energy transfer.

Examples

Transverse Wave Longitudinal Wave
TransverseWave.gif
LongitudinalWave.gif
This is a transverse wave on a string where the vibration is perpendicular to the motion of the wave. This is a longitudinal wave on a string where the vibration is parallel to the motion of the wave.
Water Waves
WaveFrequency.gif
A water wave appears as a transverse from the surface.
Sound Waves
VibrateSound1.gif
Sound waves are longitudinal waves of compression.
Light Waves
EMWave.gif
Light waves are electromagnetic waves, which are transverse with the vibration at right angles to the motion of the wave.

References

AQA

Waves, page 181, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
Waves, page 219, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
Waves, pages 187-190, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Physics, CGP, AQA
Waves, pages 190-237, GCSE Physics; Student Book, Collins, AQA
Waves, pages 224-227, GCSE Physics; The Complete 9-1 Course for AQA, CGP, AQA
Waves, pages 73-90, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA

Edexcel

Waves, page 164, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Waves, page 32, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Waves, pages 48-49, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves, pages 88-110, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; absorbed, page 56, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves; absorption, page 98, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; crossing boundaries, pages 56-57, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves; dangers of EM waves, page 136, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; infrasound, page 109, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; longitudinal, page 58, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves; longitudinal, pages 88, 89, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; reflection, pages 98, 115, 116, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; refraction, pages 98-102, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; seismic waves, pages 109, 11, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; seismic, page 37, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; sound, page 35, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; sound, pages 95, 103, 104, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; speed, pages 50-51, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves; speed, pages 93-97, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; transmission, page 98, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; transmitted, page 56, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves; transverse, page 58, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
Waves; transverse, page 88, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; ultrasound, pages 106-108, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; velocity, pages 164-66, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; velocity, pages 32-36, GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; wavefronts, pages 90, 101, 102, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel
Waves; wavelength, page 91, GCSE Physics, CGP, Edexcel

OCR

Waves, page 142-165, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves, pages 186-194, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Behaviour of, pages 142-149, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Electromagnetic waves, pages 142, 152-159, 242, 264-265, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Frequency, pages 153, 256-257, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Interactions, pages 162-165, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Lenses, pages 162-163, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Light and colour, pages 164-165, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; longitudinal, page 186, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; longitudinal, pages 59, 64, 101, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Mechanical waves, pages 142, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Models of, pages 143, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; pages 59-72, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; pages 59-72, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Period, pages 142-143, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; reflection, page 189, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; reflection, pages 61, 62, 64, 65, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; refraction, pages 190, 191, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; refraction, pages 61, 63, 64, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Seismic waves, pages 244-245, 256, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; Sound waves, pages 142, 145-149, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; sound, page 187, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; sound, pages 59, 60, 64, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Speed, pages 144-145, 256-257, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; transverse, pages 186, 192, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; transverse, pages 59, 66, 101, Gateway GCSE Physics; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Velocity, pages 144-145, 256-257, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR
Waves; water ripples, page 188, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
Waves; Wavelength, pages 142-144, 153, 256, Gateway GCSE Physics, Oxford, OCR