Which three of the following descriptions are true of wave motion? List the three letters in ... .

Nature of a Wave:

A wave results from a periodic and repeating disturbance of a medium at a given location; energy is transported from that location through the medium by means of particle-to-particle interaction. While energy moves through the medium, the actual particles of the medium simply undergo a back-and-forth vibration about a fixed position.

A common misconception (wrong idea) regarding waves is that a wave involves the movement of matter from the source to other parts of a medium. But don't be fooled! Waves involve the transport of energy, not the transport of matter. When a wave exists in a body of water (such as on an ocean), particles of water simply undergo a back-and-forth vibratory cycle about a fixed position. The water particles do not actually move from a location near the middle of the ocean to a location that is closer to shore. The same can be said of a slinky wave, a sound wave, or any type of mechanical wave.

How can a wave be described?

Do waves transport energy or matter or both or neither?

TRUE or FALSE:

Waves transport energy from one location to another without transporting matter.

(Note: The exact wording of your true-false statement is randomly selected and may vary from that listed here.)

Nature of a Wave:

A wave results from a periodic and repeating disturbance of a medium at a given location; energy is transported from that location through the medium by means of particle-to-particle interaction. While energy moves through the medium, the actual particles of the medium simply undergo a back-and-forth vibration about a fixed position.

A common misconception (wrong idea) regarding waves is that a wave involves the movement of matter from the source to other parts of a medium. But don't be fooled! Waves involve the transport of energy, not the transport of matter. When a wave exists in a body of water (such as on an ocean), particles of water simply undergo a back-and-forth vibratory cycle about a fixed position. The water particles do not actually move from a location near the middle of the ocean to a location that is closer to shore. The same can be said of a slinky wave, a sound wave, or any type of mechanical wave.

Do waves transport energy or matter or both or neither?

TRUE or FALSE:

As a water wave moves from the middle of the ocean to the sandy shore, one might expect particles of water to be displaced from the middle of the ocean to locations near the shore.

(Note: The exact wording of your true-false statement is randomly selected and may vary from that listed above.)

Nature of a Wave:

A wave results from a periodic and repeating disturbance of a medium at a given location; energy is transported from that location through the medium by means of particle-to-particle interaction. While energy moves through the medium, the actual particles of the medium simply undergo a back-and-forth vibration about a fixed position.

A common misconception (wrong idea) regarding waves is that a wave involves the movement of matter from the source to other parts of a medium. But don't be fooled! Waves involve the transport of energy, not the transport of matter. When a wave exists in a body of water (such as on an ocean), particles of water simply undergo a back-and-forth vibratory cycle about a fixed position. The water particles do not actually move from a location near the middle of the ocean to a location that is closer to shore. The same can be said of a slinky wave, a sound wave, or any type of mechanical wave.

Do waves transport energy or matter or both or neither?

Which one of the following best describes the means by which a wave transports its energy along a slinky from coil A to coil Z?

Nature of a Wave:

A wave results from a periodic and repeating disturbance of a medium at a given location; energy is transported from that location through the medium by means of particle-to-particle interaction. While energy moves through the medium, the actual particles of the medium simply undergo a back-and-forth vibration about a fixed position.

Suppose that you and a friend stretched out a slinky and held it at opposite ends. Then suppose that you begin to introduce waves into the slinky by shaking it up and down at one end. The disturbance at your end (coil A) would be transported to your friend's end (coil Z) through a coil-to-coil interaction. Quite clearly coil A would remain in your hand; it would not move down to your friend's end since you are holding onto it. Yet the disturbance moves to your friend's end because all the coils are connected. Coil A pushes or pulls on coil B; coil B pushes or pulls on coil C; coil C pushes or pulls on ... and so on.

A common misconception (wrong idea) regarding waves is that a wave involves the movement of matter from the source to other parts of a medium. But don't be fooled! Waves involve the transport of energy, not the transport of matter. In a slinky wave, the coil on one end stays on that end; clearly it doesn't move to the other end. It is the disturbance at one end which moves to the other end by means of particle-to-particle interaction.

How does a wave move through a medium and transport its energy?

The diagrams below depict various wave patterns in a slinky. The arrows represent potential direction of hand movements for the creation of such patterns. Which diagram - A, B, C, or D - represents the appropriate hand movements and patterns for a longitudinal wave?

A wave is introduced into a slinky by vibrating or wiggling one or more coils. The arrows in the diagram represent the direction which the hand is vibrating or wiggling in order to introduce the disturbance at the first coil. The subsequent appearance of the slinky as the result of the periodic and repeating disturbance of the first coil is shown by the arrangement of the other coils.

Definition of Longitudinal Waves and Transverse Waves:

There are a variety of wave types that can exist in a medium. The two most common types are longitudinal and transverse.

A transverse wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves.

A longitudinal wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is parallel to the direction that the wave moves.

If you have a slinky, then you can try this at home. Have a friend hold one end of a slinky as you hold the other. Spread apart so that the slinky stretches out between you. Have your friend hold his/her end steady as you try to create a longitudinal wave which moves from your end to the other end. Remember, you want a longitudinal wave - so the coils must vibrate back and forth towards your friend and back towards yourself. Which way do you have to shake the first coil to create this longitudinal wave?

If you wish to create a longitudinal wave which moves from your end to your friend's end, then you must vibrate your end in such a manner that all the coils within the slinky begin to vibrate in the direction of your friend and then back towards you. To do this, you must push the first coil towards your friend and then quickly pull it back towards yourself. Repeating this vibrating process over and over creates a longitudinal wave.

What is a longitudinal wave?

What is a transverse wave?

The diagrams below depict various wave patterns in a slinky. The arrows represent potential direction of hand movements for the creation of such patterns. Which diagram - A, B, C, or D - represents the appropriate hand movements and patterns for a transverse wave?

A wave is introduced into a slinky by vibrating or wiggling one or more coils. The arrows in the diagram represent the direction which the hand is vibrating or wiggling in order to introduce the disturbance at the first coil. The subsequent appearance of the slinky as the result of the periodic and repeating disturbance of the first coil is shown by the arrangement of the other coils.

Definition of Longitudinal Waves and Transverse Waves:

There are a variety of wave types that can exist in a medium. The two most common types are longitudinal and transverse.

A transverse wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves.

A longitudinal wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is parallel to the direction that the wave moves.

If you have a slinky, then you can try this at home. Have a friend hold one end of a slinky as you hold the other. Spread apart so that the slinky stretches out between you. Have your friend hold his/her end steady as you try to create a transverse wave which moves from your end to the other end. Remember, you want a transverse wave - so the coils must vibrate back and forth perpendicular to the line along which the slinky stretches. Which way do you have to shake the first coil to create this transverse wave?

If you wish to create a transverse wave which moves from your end to your friend's end, then you must vibrate your end in such a manner that all the coils within the slinky begin to vibrate side to side (up and down or left and right). To do this, you could lift the first coil up about one foot above its starting location and then quickly pull it down about one foot below its starting location. Repeating this up and down vibration process over and over will result in a transverse wave.

What is a longitudinal wave?

What is a transverse wave?

If a longitudinal wave is created in a medium which extends horizontally from left to right, then the particles of the medium will vibrate in a ____ direction.

Definition of Longitudinal Waves and Transverse Waves:

There are a variety of wave types that can exist in a medium. The two most common types are longitudinal and transverse.

A transverse wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves.

A longitudinal wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is parallel to the direction that the wave moves.

What is a longitudinal wave?

What is a transverse wave?

If a transverse wave is created in a medium which extends horizontally from left to right, then the particles of the medium will vibrate in a ____ direction.

Definition of Longitudinal Waves and Transverse Waves:

There are a variety of wave types that can exist in a medium. The two most common types are longitudinal and transverse.

A transverse wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is perpendicular to the direction that the wave moves.

A longitudinal wave is a type of wave in which particles of the medium vibrate in a direction which is parallel to the direction that the wave moves.

What is a longitudinal wave?

What is a transverse wave?