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Physics Form 5

UNDERSTANDING WAVES
1. Waves are produced by vibrating systems.
2. Waves transfer energy. Waves that travel through a medium transfer energy without
transferring matter.

3. In transverse waves, the direction of waves propagation is perpendicular to the

direction of vibration of the particles.
Example: water waves, light waves and electromagnetic waves.
4. In longitudinal waves, the direction of wave propagation is parallel to the direction of
vibration of the particles.
Longitudinal waves need a medium to propagate. This type of waves cannot propagate
through a vacuum.
Example: a sound wave.
5. A wavefront is an imaginary line representing all parts of a wave in which particles are
vibrating in the same phase and have the same distance from the source.
The direction of propagation of waves is always perpendicular to the wavefront.

6. Amplitude, a, is the maximum displacement from the equilibrium position.

7. Period, T, is the time required to make one complete oscillation.
8. Frequency, f, is the number of complete oscillations made in one second.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

9. Wavelength, is defined as the distance between two consecutive points that are in
phase.

( i ) For a transverse wave, wavelength can be measured as the distance from one crest
and also the distance from one trough to the next trough.

( ii ) For a longitudinal wave, wavelength can be measured as the distance between

two consecutive compressions or two consecutive rarefactions.

DISPLACEMENT - TIME / DISTANCE GRAPH

The sinusoidal graph shown is a graph of displacement, s against time , t of a load on a

spring.
O is called the equilibrium position.
From a displacement-time graph for a wave, we can obtain
i) amplitude, a ,and
ii) period, T.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

From a displacement- distance graph for a wave, we can obtain

i) amplitude, a ,and
ii) wavelength,
Relationship between Speed, (v) Wavelength,() and Frequency (f)
The speed of a wave is determined by its wavelength, , and its frequency, f , according
ti the equation V= f
For a wave moving at constant speed, increasing the frequency will result in a decrease
in the wavelength.
For a wave moving at constant speed, decreasing the frequency will result in an
increase in the wavelength.
Work example:
What is the frequency of water waves with the wavelength of 3.0 cm and traveling at a
speed of 1.5 cm/s ?
solution :
Step 1: write formula first
V= f
Step 2 : Substitute all given info into formula
1.5 cm/s = f x 3.0 cm
Step 3:find unknown
f = 0.5 Hz

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

DAMPING AND RESONANCE

When damping occurs in an oscillating system, energy is lost to the surroundings,

causing the amplitude of the oscillation to decrease.

When resonance occurs, the frequency of the forced vibration is equal to the natural
frequency of the system, making the system to vibrate at maximum amplitude.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

REFLECTION OF WAVES
Reflection of a wave occurs when a wave strikes an obstacle. The wave undergoes a
change in direction of propagation when it is reflected.

The phenomenon of reflection of waves obeys the Law of Reflection where:

The angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.

The incident wave, the reflected wave and normal lie in the same plane which is
perpendicular to the reflecting surface at the point of incidence.
Characteristics of reflection of waves:
1. The wavelength , speed and frequency of the reflected waves is the same as that
of the incidence.
2. Angle of incidence = angle of reflection.
3. Direction of propagation of wave changes.
Application of reflection of waves:
1. Radar system
2. Makeup mirror
3. Car rear mirror and side mirror for your safety .
4. Optical fibre
5. Ultrasonic
6. Fishing with sonar.
7. Seawall to deflected the energy of the waves from the coast.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

REFRACTION OF WAVES
Refraction of waves is a change in its direction as the waves pass from one medium to
another.
It occurs when there is a difference in the speed of the wave at the boundary of two
mediums.
Effect of refraction
The wave has the same frequency, but a different speed, wavelength and direction of
propagation.
1. Water waves passes from deep water to shallow water
The wave has the same frequency, but speed decrease, wavelength decrease and the
the water wave is refracted toward the normal.

2. Water waves passes from shallow water to deep water

The wave has the same frequency, but speed increase, wavelength increase and the the
water wave is refracted away from the normal.

Refraction phenomena :
1. A swimming pool seems much shallower than it actually is.
2. The sound of a moving car at a distance is clearer at night than that in the day time.
This is due to the effects of the refraction of sound waves.
Relationship between frequency, speed and wavelength .
v = f ( the wave frequency remain unchanged)
v
f 1 = f2

v1 = v2
1.2

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

DIFFRACTION OF WAVES
When a waves meets a barrier or passes through a gap, the wave will bend around
the edges or diffracted. The diffraction effect is more obvious when the size of the gap
or barrier is about the same size of the wavelength.
When waves are diffracted, the direction of propagation and shape of the waves
change while the wavelength, frequency and speed remains the same.

If the gap is bigger than the wavelength,

i ) the waves in the center go through the gap unchanged
ii) the waves at the edges are diffracted.

If the barrier is bigger that the wavelength, a large shadow area is formed behind the
barrier. The diffraction pattern of the waves is less obvious.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

INTERFERENCE OF WAVES
Interference is the superposition of waves from two coherent source to produce
construction or destruction. Coherent source is a source of waves having same
frequency, amplitude, and phase.

The principle of superposition states that the when two waves meet at a certain point, the
resultant displacement at that point is the vector sum of the individual waves.
After waves pass through each other, each waves continues along its original direction
of travel, and their original amplitudes remain unchanged.
When two pulses meet, they superpose. The resulting pulse has a bigger amplitude
which is equal to the vector sum of the amplitudes of the individual pulses. This is called
constructive interference.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

If the pulses that combine are same amplitude but are out of phase, the resultant
amplitude is zero. This is called destructive interference.

Points of constructive interference are called antinodes. The imaginary lines that connect
the antinodes are called antinodal line.
Points of destructive interference are called nodes, whereas the nodes are connected by
the nodal lines.
Where = wavelength [m]
a = distance between sources [m]
x = distance between two successive antinodal/nodal lines [m]
D = distance between a and x [m]

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

SOUND WAVES
Sound is a form of energy propagated as waves that make our eardrums vibrate.
Sound waves are caused by vibrating objects.
Sound waves are longitudinal waves.
Sound waves are produced when a vibrating object causes the air molecules around it to
vibrate.
When a tuning fork vibrates, layers of air vibrate and the sound energy is propagated
through the air around it in the form of waves.
When the tuning fork moves forwards, the air is compressed.
When the tuning fork moves backwards, the air layers are pulled apart and cause a
rarefaction.
Therefore, a series of compression and rarefactions will produce sound.
The air particles vibrate backward and forward in the direction parallel to the direction
of propagation of the sound wave.
The loudness of the sound depends on its amplitude.
If the amplitude is increased, the loudness increases.
A high pitch sound corresponds to a high frequency and a low pitch sound corresponds
to a low frequency of vibration.

The reflection of sound is called echoes.

i) Ultrasound waves (higher than 20 000 Hz) is used to scan and capture the image of a
fetus in a mothers womb.
ii) Sonar is the technique of using ultrasound to locate underwater objects or to measure
the depth of a seabed.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
Electromagnetic wave is a self-propagating wave in space with electric and magnetic
components.
These components oscillate at right angles to each other and to the direction of
propagation, and are in phase with each other.

Electromagnetic wave is classied into types according to the frequency of the wave.
Gamma rays > X-rays > Ultraviolet radiation > Visible light > Infrared radiation >
Microwaves > Radio waves.
Nature of EM wave:

Show characteristics of polarisation.

Transverse wave.
Since EM waves are transverse wave it do not require a medium to propagate and can
travel in vacuum.
EM wave still a wave so energy is transferred by the wave.
Obey the wave equation v = f .
In a vacuum, the waves travel at the speed of light c = 3 x 10 8 ms -1
Undergo reflection, refraction, diffraction and interference .
Electrical neutral.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.

Physics Form 5

Examples of some uses of electromagnetic waves :

Gamma rays - sterilisation of equipment.
X-ray - radiography ( X-ray photograph )
Ultraviolet - identification ofcounterfeit notes.
Visible light - sight
Infrared - night vision,thermal imaging .
Microwave - cooking, radar system , satellite transmission ( example : Astro
satellite TV, GPS..)
Radio waves - telecommunication , communication.

Mohd Amir Faisal 2015. Learning House @ Alam Energia.