Waves

1. What are waves?

We can define waves as disturbances that transport energy from one location to another one, without any transportation of matter.

2. What are mechanical waves?

Mechanical waves require a material media to propagate from one point to another. For example a sound wave.

3. Why can waves propagate?

Waves can propagate 'cause of the interaction forces between particles of a medium.

4. In the 'spring model', what do the springs represent?

Represents the interaction forces between particles.

5. Can you specify two different types of mechanical waves?

Yes, for example a transverse wave and longitudinal wave.

6. Can you define both kinds of waves?

Transverse wave: make the particles of medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction of wave motion.

Longitudinal wave: make the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave motion.

7. What is 'inertia'?

It's the tendency of objects to resist change in motion when they're pushed or pulled.

8. What kind of particles tend to have more inertia?

Particles with more a big mass.

9. In longitudinal waves, are the particles of the medium carried along by the propagating waves?

The particles of the medium aren't carried along by the propagating waves.

10. In longitudinal waves, why don't the particles of the medium move at the same time?

Because they have inertia.


PD: My cat's breath smells like cat food