- Wave: Disturbance created in a medium.
- Waves transport energy without transporting matter.
- Waves transport both energy and momentum in a medium.
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Classification of Waves
- Mechanical Waves: Require a medium for propagation (e.g., sound waves, string waves, water waves).
- Electromagnetic Waves: Do not require a medium for propagation (e.g., radio waves, heat waves, light waves).
- Matter Waves: Associated with moving particles.
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Progressive/Traveling Waves
- Propagates or distributes pulses in space along a specific direction.
- Examples: Waves on a string, waves on a water surface.
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Periodic Waves
- Repeated in regular intervals of time.
- May be transverse or longitudinal.
Transverse Waves:
- Displacement of medium is perpendicular to wave propagation.
- Examples: Ripple in a pond, wave on a string.
- Cannot propagate in gases or liquids.
Longitudinal Waves:
- Displacement of medium is parallel to wave propagation.
- Examples: Wave in a spring, sound waves in air.
- For all waves: $v = f\lambda$.
- Particles separated by $n\lambda$ are in phase.
- Particles separated by $(n+\frac{1}{2})\lambda$ are out of phase.