Review IB Physics - C.2 Wave Model

Understandings: Read these carefully and make sure you understand what each one says. These will be the basis of exam questions.

Learning Objectives:

Describe waves and wave motion
Identify wavelength, frequency and period from graphs of displacement against distance or time
Solve problems with wavelength, frequency, period and wave speed
Describe the motion of a particle in a medium through which a wave travels
Describe the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves
Understand the nature of electromagnetic waves
Understand the nature of sound waves

Guidance: Often gives helpful advance about what is and isn't included on exams.

Annotated Data Booklet

Exposition

Introduction

Definitions of wave motion:

Different types of waves:

Key Points:

A mechanical wave is a disturbance that travels in a medium through oscillations of the particles of the medium. A wave transfers energy and momentum. The direction of propagation of the wave is the direction of energy transfer.
The speed of a wave is determined only by the properties of the medium and not on how the wave is produced

Comments:

You cannot tell whether a wave is transverse or longitudinal by looking at a displacement-distance or displacement-time graphs. The graphs look the same for both.

A wave is longitudinal if the displacement is parallel to the direction of energy transfer

A wave is transverse if the displacement of the particles of the medium is at right angles to the direction of energy transfer.

Example Problems

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