HESI A2 Exam: Waves
• The distance between the midline of a wave and its crest or trough is called
• Define wavelength
• In which type of waves do the particles in the medium move parallel to the wave direction?
• Which type of wave has the largest wavelength?
• What has the smallest wavelength and the most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic spectrum?
Wavelength and Frequency
A full wavelength is defined as that portion of the wave between two successive crests, or between two troughs. By looking at how the crests and troughs line up with our horizontal axis, we can see that a full wavelength always takes the same amount of time.
Frequency is the number of cycles of a wave that pass a specific point in 1 second.
Wavelength and frequency are inversely proportional to each other. As frequencies increase on the EM spectrum, wavelengths decrease. Gamma rays have the highest frequencies, but the smallest wavelengths.
Amplitude
The distance between the midline of a wave and its crest or trough is called the amplitude. If this was a wave traveling through water, the amplitude would measure the maximum displacement of the particles from their resting point.
Types of Waves
Movement of a wave through a solid object like a stretched rope or a trampoline is an example of a transversal wave.
Longitudinal waves have movement of the particles which are parallel to the motion of the energy. Sound waves moving through the air are an example of this type of wave. For a sound wave traveling through air, the vibrations of the particles are best described as longitudinal.
A transverse wave can only travel through solids while a longitudinal wave can travel through solids, liquids and gases.
Surface waves have particles travel in a circular motion. Examples include waves in the ocean.
Radio waves have photons with low energies. Radio waves have the largest wavelength.
Microwaves can be used to broadcast information through space. They are good for transmitting information because the energy can go through substances such as clouds and light rain.
Vibrations
Vibrations in objects and substances are oscillating motions that occur repeatedly over a fixed position. Vibrations are the origins of waves. When vibrations disturb a medium, the disturbance travels through the medium, from one location to another, in the form of a wave.
Electromagnetic Radiation
Forms of electromagnetic radiation include gamma rays, x rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared, microwaves and radio waves.
Electromagnetic radiation is energy that is transferred through free space or through a medium in the form of electromagnetic waves, such as radio waves, visible light, and gamma rays.
Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. A mechanical wave is a wave that is an oscillation of matter, and therefore transfers energy through a medium.
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