Behavior of Waves

How Does Reflection Change a Wave?What Causes the Refraction of a Wave When It Enters a New Medium?What Factor Affects the Amount of Diffraction of a Wave?What Are Two Type of Interference? What Wavelengths Will Produce a Standing Wave?

Wave: Reflection• Reflection = when a wave bounces off a

surface that it cannot go through • Ex. Ball bouncing off a wall• Reflections do not:

–Change the speed or–Frequency of the wave but–The Wave can be flipped upside down

Wave: Refraction

• Refraction = the bending of a wave as it enters a new medium at an angle

• Refraction occurs because one side of the wave moves more slowly than the other side

Wave : Diffraction• Diffraction = is the bending of

a wave as it moves around an obstacle or passes through a narrow opening

• A wave diffracts more if its wavelength is large compared to the size of an opening or obstacle

• The larger the wavelength is compared to the size of the opening or obstacle the more the wave diffracts

Wave: Interference• Interference = When two or more waves

overlap or combine together• Constructive Interference =

Two or more waves combining to make a larger displacement

• Destructive Interference = Two or more waves that combine to make a smaller displacement

Standing Wave• Standing wave = a wave that appears to

not be moving.• Ex. if you Pluck a string on a Guitar.• Node = point of a standing wave with no

displacement.• Antinode = point where trough and crest

are halfway between nodes.

Node Antinode

Diffraction Node Antinode