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15.3. Interactions of Waves. Reflection. When an object/wave hits a surface through which it cannot pass, it bounces back, which is called reflection Reflection is a common occurrence in our everyday lives
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15.3 Interactions of Waves
Reflection • When an object/wave hits a surface through which it cannot pass, it bounces back, which is called reflection • Reflection is a common occurrence in our everyday lives • All waves obey the law of reflection which states that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection Angle of reflection Angle of incidence Incoming Wave Reflected Wave
Refraction • Have you ever been in the car and a tire has gone off the side of the road? How easy is it to maintain a straight line? • Changes in speed can cause waves to change direction • When a wave enters a new medium at an angle, one side of the wave changes speed before the other side, causing the wave to bend • The bending of waves due to a change in speed is called refraction • A wave does not always bend when entering a new medium; it only bends if it enters the new medium at an angle • Bending occurs because the 2 sides of the wave are travelling at different speeds
Diffraction and Interference • When a wave moves around a barrier or through an opening in a barrier, it bends and spreads out • This type of wave interaction is diffraction
What happens when 2 solid objects collide? • Unlike solid objects, waves can overlap when they meet • This type of interaction is called interference: constructive and destructive • Constructive interference takes place when waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude • Destructive interference takes place when 2 waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude
Standing Wave • When an incoming wave and a reflected wave seem to have just the right frequency, the will produce a combined wave that appears to be standing still • A standing wave is one that appears to stand in one place, even though it is really 2 waves interfering with each other • In a standing wave, destructive interference produces points of amplitude at zero; this zero amplitude point is called a node and they are evenly spaced out along the wave • Where constructive interference occurs, the amplitude is greater than zero; the points of maximum amplitude is an antinode • Antinodes are points of maximum energy and always occur halfway between 2 nodes
Resonance • Most objects have a natural frequency of vibrations • Standing waves occur in objects when it vibrates at a natural frequency • If a nearby object vibrates at the same frequency, it can cause resonance which is an increase in the amplitude of a vibration that occurs when external vibrations match an object’s natural frequency • Resonance can be both useful and harmful • It is useful in musical instruments to produce stronger, clearer sounds • It can be harmful in the instance of an earthquake in which the frequency of earthquake waves match the natural frequency of the ground causing damage to buildings due to resonance