Contents
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:
- Absorbed - The wave disappears and the new material gains energy from the wave.
- Reflected - The wave bounces off the new material.
- Refracted - The wave enters the new medium changing direction as it does.
- 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 |
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| 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 |
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| A water wave appears as a transverse from the surface. |
| Sound Waves |
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| Sound waves are longitudinal waves of compression. |
| Light Waves |
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| Light waves are electromagnetic waves, which are transverse with the vibration at right angles to the motion of the wave. |