WAVES AND THEIR PROPERTIES — PHYSICS 122 SUMMARY
Course: Physics 122
Topic Range: 1.0 – 1.3
Prepared by: Ishola Aishat
1.0 Revision on Waves
A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one point to another without transferring
matter. In simple terms, it allows energy to move through a medium (like water or air) or
even through space (as in light waves).
Waves can be seen in everyday life — ripples on water, sound vibrations, or even light from
the sun. All waves have certain features such as wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and
velocity, which describe how they move and behave.
1.1. Categories of Waves
Waves can be grouped into two main categories based on how they move and the medium
through which they travel:
1. Mechanical Waves – These waves need a material medium (like air, water, or a string) to
travel.
Examples: Sound waves, water waves, and waves on a stretched string.
2. Electromagnetic Waves – These do not require a material medium. They can travel
through empty space.
Examples: Light waves, radio waves, X-rays, and microwaves.
Another way to classify waves is based on the direction of vibration of the particles in the
medium compared to the direction of wave travel:
Transverse Waves: The particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
(Example: light waves, water waves)
Longitudinal Waves: The particles vibrate parallel to the direction of wave travel.
(Example: sound waves)
1.2. Terms Associated with Waves
To understand how waves behave, certain basic terms are important:
Course: Physics 122
Topic Range: 1.0 – 1.3
Prepared by: Ishola Aishat
1.0 Revision on Waves
A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from one point to another without transferring
matter. In simple terms, it allows energy to move through a medium (like water or air) or
even through space (as in light waves).
Waves can be seen in everyday life — ripples on water, sound vibrations, or even light from
the sun. All waves have certain features such as wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and
velocity, which describe how they move and behave.
1.1. Categories of Waves
Waves can be grouped into two main categories based on how they move and the medium
through which they travel:
1. Mechanical Waves – These waves need a material medium (like air, water, or a string) to
travel.
Examples: Sound waves, water waves, and waves on a stretched string.
2. Electromagnetic Waves – These do not require a material medium. They can travel
through empty space.
Examples: Light waves, radio waves, X-rays, and microwaves.
Another way to classify waves is based on the direction of vibration of the particles in the
medium compared to the direction of wave travel:
Transverse Waves: The particles vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
(Example: light waves, water waves)
Longitudinal Waves: The particles vibrate parallel to the direction of wave travel.
(Example: sound waves)
1.2. Terms Associated with Waves
To understand how waves behave, certain basic terms are important:
