Introduction

A wave is a disturbance of some physical quantity, which propagates energy and momentum from one region to another through some medium.

Terminology Term Displacement Amplitude Wavelength Period Frequency Symbol Definition Distance and direction of a point from its equilibrium position Maximum displacement of a point on the wave Distance between two adjacent points which are oscillating in phase Time taken for a point on the wave to complete one oscillation Number of oscillations per unit time made by a point on the wave Distance moved by the wave per unit time Speed of propagation of the wave in its direction of travel ( ( ) ) Imaginary line which joins points on the wave which are oscillating in phase The wavefront is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the wave

Speed

Phase difference

Wavefront

Graphs A displacement-distance graph shows a waves profile at an instant in time.

A displacement-time graph shows the variation with time of displacement of one particular point on a wave.

Types of Waves
Transverse and Longitudinal Waves Transverse waves are waves where the displacement of the particles is perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. Longitudinal waves are waves where the displacement of the particle is parallel to the direction of wave propagation. Progressive and Stationary Waves Progressive waves are waves where the disturbances cause the energy to be transferred from one point to another. For a progressive wave, points separated by a distance equal to oscillate in phase and points separated by a distance equal to of phase. Stationary waves are waves where the energy of the waves is not transferred along the wave. A stationary wave has nodes, regions where there is no oscillation at any time, and anti-nodes, regions where there is maximum amplitude of vibration. All points within a segment of a stationary wave oscillate in phase and are completely out of phase with points in adjacent segments. Electromagnetic Waves Electromagnetic waves consist of mutually perpendicular electric field and magnetic field oscillating perpendicularly to the direction of wave travel. Electromagnetic waves no not require a medium for propagation and travel with a speed of . Electromagnetic Wave Radio Microwave Infrared Visible Light Ultraviolet rays X-ray Gamma rays Wavelength are completely out

Intensity of a Wave
The amount of energy transported per second by a wave is called the power of the wave and is measured in SI united of joules per second or watts. The intensity is defined as the power per unit area that passes perpendicularly through a surface, the wave, For a spherical wave, the intensity at a distance is which means that . The intensity of a wave is proportional to the square of the amplitude of

Polarization
A transverse wave has indefinitely many possible planes of vibration and polarization is the phenomenon whereby a transverse wave is made to oscillate in a single plane, called the plane of polarization. Polarization of light As a result of polarization, the amplitude of the light that passes through will decrease, i.e. the intensity is reduced.