5.22 Mechanical Wave
Types of Mechanical Waves
There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse, longitudinal, and surface waves. They differ in how particles
of the medium move. You can see this in theFigure5.44 and in the animation at the following URL. http://www.a
cs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/waves/wavemotion.html
FIGURE 5.44
- In a transverse wave, particles of the medium vibrate up and down perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
- In a longitudinal wave, particles of the medium vibrate back and forth parallel to the direction of the wave.
- In a surface wave, particles of the medium vibrate both up and down and back and forth, so they end up
moving in a circle.
Q:How do you think surface waves are related to transverse and longitudinal waves?
A:A surface wave is combination of a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave.
Summary
- A mechanical wave is a disturbance in matter that transfers energy through the matter.
- The matter through which a mechanical wave travels is called the medium (plural, media).
- There are three types of mechanical waves: transverse, longitudinal, and surface waves. They differ in how
particles of the medium move when the energy of the wave passes through.
Vocabulary
- mechanical wave: Disturbance in matter that transfers energy from one place to another.
- medium(plural,media): Matter through which a mechanical wave moves.
Explore More
At the following URL, read the short introduction to waves and watch the animations. Then answer the questions
below. http://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/waves-intro/waves-intro.html