16.5.4 The Wave Model
We introduced the concept of a wave model at the beginning of this chapter. Now we’re in a position to articulate what this means.
MODEL 16.1 The wave model
A wave is an organized disturbance that travels.
Two classes of waves:
Mechanical waves travel through a medium.
Electromagnetic waves travel through vacuum.
Two types of waves:
Transverse waves are displaced perpendicular to the direction in which the wave travels.
Longitudinal waves are displaced parallel to the direction in which the wave travels.
The wave speed is a property of the medium.
Sinusoidal waves are periodic in both time (period) and space (wavelength).
The wave frequency is the oscillation frequency of the source.
The fundamental relationship for periodic waves is . This says that the wave moves forward one wavelength during one period.
