Mechanical Waves

Claimed by Snehil Mathur (Spring 2022)

Mechanical Waves are waves that propagate through a medium, one that is either solid, liquid, or gas. The speed at which a wave travels depends on the mediums' properties, both elastic and inertial.

The Main Idea

Waves can be described as disturbances that travel through space and can transport energy from its source to another location. These are often represented in an oscillating manner.

Mechanical waves are waves that propagate through matter (gas, liquid, or solid) and require a medium in order to transport energy. Inherently, these waves cannot travel through a vacuum.

There are three main types of mechanical waves:

Transverse Waves:

Waves in which the particles oscillate back and forth in the direction perpendicular to the motion of the wave. The particle travels the length of the amplitude of the and completes its oscillation corresponding to when the wave moves over one wavelength. Some examples of transverse waves are ripples in the water and a vibrating string.

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Longitudinal Waves:

Waves in which the particles move in the same direction as the wave motion. While still in an oscillating motion, they move "back-and-forth" with respect to the direction the wave is propagating in. Some examples of longitudinal waves include sound waves and the motion of compressing and stretching a spring.

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Surface Waves:

Waves in which the particles within the medium move both parallel and perpendicular to the propagation direction of the wave. They're called surface waves due to their nature of travelling along the surface of a medium. This gives the particles on the wave a circular-like motion. The surface of a wave in the water is the most direct example of a surface wave; other examples include seismic waves and gravity waves along the surface of liquids.

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A Mathematical Model

What are the mathematical equations that allow us to model this topic. For example [math]\displaystyle{ {\frac{d\vec{p}}{dt}}_{system} = \vec{F}_{net} }[/math] where p is the momentum of the system and F is the net force from the surroundings.

A Computational Model

How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here Teach hands-on with GlowScript

Examples

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Connectedness

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History

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See also

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Further reading

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External links

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References

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