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Waves

Waves can be drawn, their properties depend on their waveform.

Drawing a wave

Drawing a wave

  • Waves can have certain characteristics that can be drawn, usually waves are drawn as transverse waves.
  • The crest or peak of a wave is the top of a wave.
  • The trough is the bottom of a wave.
  • Wavelength is the distance from one part of one wave to the same point on the next. IE peak to peak .
  • The amplitude is the distance from its resting position (middle) to its peak or trough (The height of the wave).
Longitudinal waves

Longitudinal waves

  • On longitudinal waves we can label:
    • Compressions – when waves are close together.
    • Rare-factions – when waves are further apart.
Amplitude

Amplitude

  • The amplitude is the distance from its resting position (middle) to its peak or trough (The height of the wave).
  • If we increase the amplitude we will make it louder.
  • So a small amplitude = small sound.
Loudness

Loudness

  • Loudness is measured in decibels.
  • If sounds are too quiet we may not be able to hear them.
  • If sounds are too loud they can damage our hearing.
  • You can see amplitude on oscilloscope traces.
Pitch and frequency

Pitch and frequency

  • Pitch and frequency of sounds are related.
  • Frequency is the number of waves that pass a point every second.
  • Pitch is how low or high a sound is.
  • A high pitch sound will have a high frequency, so will have more complete waves per second.
  • The higher the frequency the closer together the waves will be.
  • A low pitch sound will have a low frequency.
Hearing waves

Hearing waves

  • Humans can hear between the frequency of 20Hz to 20,000Hz.
  • Below 20Hz is known as infrasound and it is the frequency elephants communicate in.
  • Above 20000Hz is known as ultrasound and it is the frequency that bats and dolphins use for echolocation.
Jump to other topics
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Biology

1.1

Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2

Reproduction & Variation

1.3

Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4

Digestion & Nutrition

1.5

Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6

Biological Systems & Processes

2

Chemistry

2.1

Particles

2.2

Chemical Reactions

2.3

Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4

The Periodic Table

2.5

Materials & the Earth

2.6

Reactivity

2.7

Energetics

2.8

Properties of Materials

3

Physics

3.1

Energy

3.2

Forces & Motion

3.3

Waves

3.4

Electricity & Magnetism

3.5

Matter

3.6

Space Physics

4

Disciplinary Knowledge

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