1.

Transverse Wave - is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a direction perpendicular
to the direction that the wave moves.
- A ripple on a pond and a wave on a string are easily visualized transverse waves.
- Transverse waves cannot propagate in a gas or a liquid because there is no
mechanism for driving motion perpendicular to the propagation of the wave.

2. Longitudinal Wave - is a wave in which particles of the medium move in a direction parallel to
the direction that the wave moves.
- Sound waves in air are longitudinal waves.

2.1 Region of Compression - is a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are closest
together.
2.2 Region of Rare Faction - is a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are furthest
apart.
3. Properties of Waves
3.1 Reflection is when waves will reflect in such a way that the angle at which they approach
the barrier equals the angle at which they reflect off the barrier.
- involves a change in direction of waves when they bounce off a barrier
3.2 Refraction - or the bending of the path of the waves, is when waves involve a change in the
direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another.
3.3 Diffraction - involves a change in direction of waves as they pass through an opening or
around a barrier in their path.
 3.4 Dispersion - any phenomenon associated with the propagation of individual waves at speeds
that depend on their wavelengths
- causes the shape of a wave pulse to change as it travels
- is sometimes called the separation of light into colours, an effect more properly
called angular dispersion.
3.5 Polarization - property of certain electromagnetic radiations in which the direction and
magnitude of the vibrating electric field are related in a specified way.
- is an expression of the orientation of the lines of electric flux in an electromagnetic
field ( EM field ). Polarization can be constant; that is, existing in a particular
orientation at all times, or it can rotate with each wave cycle.
3.6 Interference - is the phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along
the same medium.
- causes the medium to take on a shape that results from the net effect of the two
individual waves upon the particles of the medium.
3.6.1 Constructive - is a type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium
where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction.
3.6.2 Destructive - is a type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium
where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the opposite direction.
4. Principle of Superposition - When two waves interfere, the resulting displacement of the
medium at any location is the algebraic sum of the displacements of the individual waves at that
same location.
5. Doppler Effect - the effect produced by a moving source of waves in which there is an apparent
upward shift in frequency for observers towards whom the source is approaching and an
apparent downward shift in frequency for observers from whom the source is receding.
- It is important to note that the effect does not result because of an actual change in
the frequency of the source.
6. Sound Waves - Sound is a mechanical wave that results from the back and forth vibration of the
particles of the medium through which the sound wave is moving.
6.1 Types
6.1.1 Ultrasonic Wave - the waves of frequency greater than 20,000Hz, which is the
upper limit of human noise perception.
6.1.2 Infrasonic Wave - the waves of frequency less than 20Hz which are not audible to a
human ear.
6.2 Units
6.2.1 Decibel - (dB) is a logarithmic unit used to express sound intensity.

Here L represents decibels, which correspond to an

arbitrary sound wave of intensity I, measured in watts per square metre. The
reference intensity I0, corresponding to a level of 0 decibels, is approximately the
intensity of a wave of 1,000 hertz frequency at the threshold of hearingabout 10-12
watt per square metre.
6.2.2 Phons used to indicate an individuals perception of loudness.
 - 1 phon is equivalent to 1 deciBel at 1000 Hz
6.3 Mach number - the ratio of flow velocity after a certain limit of the sounds speed.
- M = u/c
- Where The Mach number is M, Based on the limits the local flow velocity is u, The
speed of sound in that medium is c.
6.4 Difference between Music and Noise (elements)
- Music has pleasing effect on ears and mind, whereas noise appears to be irritating
and a nuisance
- Music has high frequency and there are recognizable patterns of changes in
wavelength and amplitude. On the other hand, noise has low frequency, has
irregular wavelengths and produces sudden changes in amplitude and wavelength.
- Music has a combination of frequencies and their harmonics, while noise has no
such properties.
- Music is harmony, whereas noise is chaos
- Noise is wild and untamed, whereas music is soothing and appealing to listen to.
- Music is a special category of noise. To some, it is organized noise. On the other
hand, noise is nothing but random sounds with no order or rhythm. -----
- Music is ordered sound. Noise is disordered sound.
- Music and noise are both mixtures of sound waves of different frequencies. The
component frequencies of music are discrete (separable) and rational (their ratios
form simple fractions) with a discernible dominant frequency. The component
frequencies of noise are continuous (every frequency will be present over some
range) and random (described by a probability distribution) with no discernible
dominant frequency.
6.5 Beats - When two sound waves of different frequency approach your ear, the alternating
constructive and destructive interference causes the sound to be alternatively soft and loud,
a phenomenon which is called "beating" or producing beats. The beat frequency is equal to
the absolute value of the difference in frequency of the two waves.

-
- When two (or more) sounds are present having a frequency difference of less than
about 20 or 30 Hz, you will hear "beats."
6.6 Octave - is the interval between two points where the frequency at the second point is twice
the frequency of the first.
- Although the octave is the eighth note of a series in any key - an octave is separated
by 5 whole notes and 2 half notes (only six whole notes separates an octave)
- The Law of Octaves states that in a frequency sense, we can use an octave of a
frequency to the same effect as the frequency itself.
- An octave is a doubling or halving of a frequency. Doubling would involve going up
to the next higher octave while halving involves coming down an octave.
SOURCES: waves
*http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-1/Categories-of-Waves
*http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Sound/tralon.html
*https://www.everythingmaths.co.za/science/grade-10/09-longitudinal-
waves/09-longitudinal-waves-02.cnxmlplus
*http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-3/Reflection,-Refraction,-
and-Diffraction
*https://www.britannica.com/science/dispersion-physics
*https://www.britannica.com/science/polarization-physics
*http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/polarization-wave-polarization
*http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-3/Interference-of-Waves
*http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/waves/Lesson-3/The-Doppler-Effect
*http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/sound/u11l1c.html
*https://www.britannica.com/science/sound-physics/The-decibel-scale
*http://www.physicsclassroom.com/getattachment/actprep/act9ag.pdf
*http://byjus.com/physics/mach-number/
*http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-music-and-vs-noise/
*http://physics.info/music/
*http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Sound/beat.html
*http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/sound-frequency-wavelength-d_56.html
*http://www.sound-physics.com/Sound/Law-Of-Octaves/