Lesson 1 of 7
Waves
Goal: Describe what a wave is.
A wave carries energy from place to place. The water or rope it travels through does not go with it.
- This is a transverse wave. The rope moves up and down while the wave travels along. The two directions are at right angles.
- Ripples on water are transverse too. A floating leaf bobs up and down as they pass.
- Waves bounce off a barrier. This is called reflection.
- When two waves meet, they add together. Two peaks make a taller peak. A peak and a trough of the same size cancel out. This is called superposition, and sound waves do it too.
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Key words in this lesson
Wave A vibration that carries energy from place to place, but not matter
Transverse wave Its vibration is at right angles to the way the wave travels