Introduction to Wave
Wave motion is known as transfer and moving energy from one point to another, wave is also referred as oscillation or disturbance that travels along the matter or space. There are two categories of waves they include transverse and longitudinal waves. In longitudinal wave particles of the medium are displaced in a direction parallel to the energy transferred while in a transverse wave particles of the medium are displaced in a direction perpendicular to the direction of energy transferred (Hewitt & Paul, 35).
Waves can be moved along ropes across the surface of strings and water. Some waves can travel through space. When waves travel along, they make the object or surface to move in regular pattern often called wave disturbance. The important point to consider is that no matter is moved with the waves. Water waves which move the water particles up and down on the spot do not actually displaces any water when the wave travels. However, only energy is transferred along the wave’s path (Kock & Winston, 56).
Displacement is known as the distance a particle moves from its central equilibrium position.
Amplitude refers to the full displacement from the central equilibrium position.
Periodic time (T) is the time taken from a wave to make one complete oscillation.
Wavelength (λ) is one full wave which is the distance sandwiched between two identical points on a wave its SI units are in meters (m)
Frequency is denoted by f to represent the complete number of waves passing a given point in one second. Its SI units is in hertz (Hz)
Sound waves
When pressure undergoes a vibration or variation it causes particles to vibrate this causes rarefaction and compression. Sound is referred as mechanical wave when it travels from right to left through a medium the particle of medium will be displaced both leftward and rightward as the sound energy passes through it. Sound waves are produced by vibrating tuning fork. Mechanism behind this practical is that tines of the fork vibrate forth and back and push the neighboring air particles, because of longitudinal motion there is a region of air particles where they are compressed together while another region air particles spread a part. These are the two region rarefaction and compressions (Kock & Winston, 67). Rarefactions are regions of low air pressure while compression is region of compression.
The main difference between sound waves and light waves is that sound waves are longitudinal wave while light waves are transverse waves. Also sound waves require a medium while on the other hand light do not require any medium. Sound wave is also referred as pressure wave this is because it consist a repeating form of low pressure region and high pressure region that travels along the medium. Increase in frequency in sound waves result in increase in pitch of sounds.
Characteristics of sound waves
- Sound waves require a medium for them to move from one point to another.
- Sound wave travels with the constant speed of 332 m/s at room temperature.
- Sound waves are longitudinal waves that consist of rarefactions and compressions.
- Sound waves are of dissimilar frequencies which later produces notes of different pitches.
- Since sound energy is dissipated easily they do not travel long distance.
Light waves
Light wave is known to consist of electromagnetic waves which is composed of an electric and magnetic field which oscillates together. Since they are transverse waves they vibrate perpendicular to each other as the wave travels in perpendicular direction to both of the fields. Light particles are called photons which travel at the speed of light (Kock & Winston, 78).
The nature of light was first experienced by illustration of interference and diffraction. Unlike the sound wave light can travels in vacuum as well the electromagnetic waves. The demonstration of transverse nature of light was experimented by polarization. Light waves is known to originate or produced by the following two methods luminescence which is the method that involve emission of light when electrons that are excited fall to lower energy levels. The second method involves incandescence which is the process by emitting light from a very hot matter (Mahaney & Ian, 176). Light energy is directly proportional to its frequency increase in frequency leads to increase in light energy. Low frequency low light energy, as a result of this fluctuation the light wave produces electromagnetic spectrum. This represents the whole ranges of light wave’s frequency and their respective energies. The table below shows electromagnetic spectrum.
Properties of light waves
- Light waves do not require any medium for its particle to travel
- Light waves ravel at the speed of light which is 3X108 m/s
- Light waves are type of transverse waves
- Light waves are electromagnetic waves that consist of fluctuating magnetic fields and electric fields as well.
- They travel at straight line and travel much greater distance than sound waves.
Works Cited
Hewitt, Paul G. Light Waves. Menlo Park, CA N.p., n.d. Print.
Kock, Winston E. Sound Waves and Light Waves. Garden City, N.Y: Anchor Books, 1965. Print.
Mahaney, Ian F. Sound Waves. New York: PowerKids Press, 2007. Print.
