Physics HL
Physics HL
5
Chapters
329
Notes
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Theme A - Space, Time & Motion
Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter
Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Theme D - Fields
Theme D - Fields
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics
IB Resources
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Physics HL
Physics HL

Theme C - Wave Behaviour

Wavefronts & Rays: Unveiling The Mysteries Of Water Ripples

Word Count Emoji
620 words
Reading Time Emoji
4 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Picture a calm lake 🏞️

  • You're chilling by a still lake.
  • A boy skims a stone across the water.
  • Splash! Ripples spread out, expanding like circles.
  • The biggest disturbance? Where the stone first hit the water. The ripple gets larger as it moves further away from that point.

Real-world Example: Toss a pebble into a pond and watch the ripples flow! That first point of contact? That's where the wave begins.

Understanding wave motion 🌊➡️

  • Wavefronts: Think of these like the frontline of an army, leading the charge! They move with the wave, always perpendicular (or at a 90° angle) to the direction the wave is heading. Each wavefront is one wavelength away from its neighbor.
  • Rays: These are the arrows of energy, showing where the wave's energy is heading. They're like the straight lines that always stand perpendicular to our wavefronts.

Real-world Example: Imagine a fun day at a waterpark with circular floaties. Each floatie is a wavefront, and if you look at the direction everyone's sliding towards, those are the rays!

The tale of the wave 📖🌊

  • Wavefronts tell a wave's story. The bigger its circle (or radius), the older the wave.
  • Smaller circles = younger wavefronts.

Real-world Example: It's like reading tree rings. The more rings a tree has, the older it is!

Meet the ripple tank! 🛁

  • A transparent tank filled with just a tad bit of water.
  • There’s a single light source that, when switched on, shines light through the water.
  • Waves in the water make cool patterns of light and dark on a screen below. This is like a wave theatre!
    • Light areas = wave crests (high points)
    • Dark areas = wave troughs (low points)

Real-world Example: Picture a projector in a movie theatre. But instead of playing movies, it's showcasing water waves in action!

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IB Resources
Theme C - Wave Behaviour
Physics HL
Physics HL

Theme C - Wave Behaviour

Wavefronts & Rays: Unveiling The Mysteries Of Water Ripples

Word Count Emoji
620 words
Reading Time Emoji
4 mins read
Updated at Emoji
Last edited on 5th Nov 2024

Picture a calm lake 🏞️

  • You're chilling by a still lake.
  • A boy skims a stone across the water.
  • Splash! Ripples spread out, expanding like circles.
  • The biggest disturbance? Where the stone first hit the water. The ripple gets larger as it moves further away from that point.

Real-world Example: Toss a pebble into a pond and watch the ripples flow! That first point of contact? That's where the wave begins.

Understanding wave motion 🌊➡️

  • Wavefronts: Think of these like the frontline of an army, leading the charge! They move with the wave, always perpendicular (or at a 90° angle) to the direction the wave is heading. Each wavefront is one wavelength away from its neighbor.
  • Rays: These are the arrows of energy, showing where the wave's energy is heading. They're like the straight lines that always stand perpendicular to our wavefronts.

Real-world Example: Imagine a fun day at a waterpark with circular floaties. Each floatie is a wavefront, and if you look at the direction everyone's sliding towards, those are the rays!

The tale of the wave 📖🌊

  • Wavefronts tell a wave's story. The bigger its circle (or radius), the older the wave.
  • Smaller circles = younger wavefronts.

Real-world Example: It's like reading tree rings. The more rings a tree has, the older it is!

Meet the ripple tank! 🛁

  • A transparent tank filled with just a tad bit of water.
  • There’s a single light source that, when switched on, shines light through the water.
  • Waves in the water make cool patterns of light and dark on a screen below. This is like a wave theatre!
    • Light areas = wave crests (high points)
    • Dark areas = wave troughs (low points)

Real-world Example: Picture a projector in a movie theatre. But instead of playing movies, it's showcasing water waves in action!

Unlock the Full Content! File Is Locked Emoji

Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Physics HL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟

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