Learning objective 1
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Mechanical waves require a medium to travel through and do not transport the medium itself. Examples of mechanical waves include sound waves, ocean waves, and seismic waves. Mechanical waves on a string can be visualized by focusing on a single point on the string. As a pulse passes through the point, it first displaces the point upwards by pulling on it, reaches a maximum upward displacement, then displaces it downward as the pulse continues through. The point returns to its original position once the pulse passes.
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Learning objective 1
- 1. ! Mechanical waves travel through a medium such as air, water or earth Once the pulse has passes, the point is in the exact same spot.This demonstrates an important concept in wave mechanics: waves do not transport the medium In contrast, electromechanical waves (such as light waves) do not require a medium, but CAN travel through one Sound waves Ocean waves Seismic Waves Motion of a wave on a string We’ll focus on a single point on the string. It is currently not accelerating, as Fnet = 0 A pulse approaches ! YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAVE As the pulse reaches the point, it begins to pull the point upwards, the point begins to move upwards, but is still being pulled downwards This continues until the point comes to the highest point. Here, it is being pulled downward by both sides and has its maximum acceleration The point is moved downward but is still pulled upward by the leaving wave MECHANICALWAVES AND THEIR TRAVEL Mechanical wave motion can be very complex. A good simplification is a wave on a string Then what DO waves do? Waves transport ENERGY Here’s what a displacement vs. time graph of this point looks like Time Displacement Position - maximum Velocity - 0 Acceleration - maximum and opposing displacement Mechanical waves can be LONGITUDINAL particles move parallel to wave (e.g. sound) Mechanical waves can be TRANSVERSE: particles move at a 90 angle to wave