3.3.3

Observing Waves

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Observing Waves

Many waves cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are invisible. We are able to see and study water waves.

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Water waves

  • Water waves are transverse waves.
  • In a small pond, these waves are called ripples.
  • Waves moving up and down can be described as undulations.
  • The tallest water wave ever recorded happened in 1958 in Alaska. It was over 100ft tall.
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Superposition

  • Waves can be added together or cancel each other out.
    • This is called superposition.
  • If waves superpose by adding together, they will get bigger and increase amplitude.
  • Waves will cancel each other out if, when the waves combine, one wave's peak meets the other wave's trough.

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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