3.3.1

Waves

Test yourself

Waves

A wave is a vibration that transfers energy. You will need to be able to label a diagram of a wave.

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Waves

  • Waves are oscillations or vibrations.
  • All waves transfer energy.
  • The matter a wave passes through does not move from its position.
  • You can see information about a wave on an oscilloscope. It displays this information on a screen.
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Describing waves

  • Wavelength - the distance between a point of a wave to the same point on the next wave.
  • Peak or crest - the top of a wave.
  • Trough - the bottom of a wave.
  • Amplitude - the distance from the middle to the crest or trough of the wave.
  • Frequency: the number of waves that travel past a single point every second. Measured in Hertz (Hz).

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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