Properties of Waves

As of 2021, College Board only tests Units 1-7 on the AP Physics 1 exam. This page's content will not be tested on the exam, but we kept it online for you all as a resource.

#Enduring Understanding 6.A 👨‍💻

A wave is a travelling disturbance that transfers energy and momentum.

#Essential Knowledge 6.A.1 🏘

Waves can propagate via different oscillation modes such as transverse and longitudinal.

#Essential Knowledge 6.A.2 🏘

For propagation, mechanical waves require a medium.

#Essential Knowledge 6.A.3 🏘

The amplitude is the maximum displacement of a wave from its equilibrium value.

#Essential Knowledge 6.A.4 🏘

Classically, the energy carried by a wave depends on and increases with amplitude. Examples include sound waves.

#Anatomy of a Wave

A wave is a periodic disturbance, meaning that it repeats over and over in a predictable pattern. The disturbance can cause the particles of the material the wave is propagating through to vibrate either perpendicular or parallel to the direction of the wave’s motion.

If the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of motion, the wave is longitudinal. If they vibrate perpendicular, the wave is transverse.

#Image courtesy of Difference.Wiki.

Both types of waves have similar features:

Amplitude

• The height of the wave, measured from the equilibrium position.
• The amplitude also describes the amount of energy a wave transfers. The higher the amplitude, the larger the energy.

Wavelength

• The distance from one repeated unit to the next.
• On a Longitudinal wave this is from compression to compression or rarefaction t...