Introduction to Waves

Waves

Introduction

We have heard of sound, light, water in the past. All these are related to waves. When you stand by the beach and see the surface of the water like ridges, moving up and down, this is as a result of the water wave on the surface of the water. The medium for water wave is the water itself.  A light travel from Sun through space to the surface of the Earth is another form of wave. Light does not require any medium to travel from space to earth. The sound of a thunder that travels from the sky is also another form of wave. The sound was able to travel because of the air in the atmosphere. Here, the medium is the air and without air the sound will not be able to reach the surface of the earth. In general, what is a wave?

A wave is  an entity which travels with or without a medium and transfer energy from one point to another without any permanent displacement of any existing medium .

Waves can be classified base on medium of propagation as Mechanical waves and Electromagnetic waves.

Mechanical waves

Mechanical waves are those waves that require medium for their propagation.

Examples of Mechanical waves are;

1. Spring waves
2. String waves
3. Sound waves
4. Water waves

Electromagnetic waves

Electromagnetic waves are the waves that do not require a material medium for the propagation

Examples of Electromagnetic waves are;

1. Light waves
2. Radio waves
3. X-rays
4. Gamma-rays

Waves can also be classified base on the direction of particle vibration with respect to the direction of travel of the wave as transverse and longitudinal wave.

Transverse wave

A transverse wave is a wave in which the direction of travel is perpendicular to the direction of vibration of the medium.

Examples of transverse wave are:

1. Water wave
2. String wave

Longitudinal waves

A longitudinal wave is a wave in which the direction of travels is the same to the diection of vibration of the medium

Example of longitudinal waves is sound wave.

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