Waves transfer energy but not matter

Quiz

Q1) A wave can make a leaf bob up and down on the water, but it cannot move the leaf toward the shore. This is because waves only transfer…

A. Media
B. Crests
C. Energy
D. Matter

Answer) C.

Q2) How do waves transfer energy?

A. By a combination of waves
B. By the vibration of particles in a medium
C. Through ocean waves
D. Through compression

Answer) B.

Waves transfer energy but not matter Simulation(Virtual Experiment)

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Wave motion

Consider what happens to the surface of a pond when you drop a pebble into the water. The disturbance created by the pebble generates water waves that travel away from the disturbance, as seen in Figure 1. If you examined the motion of a leaf floating near the disturbance, you would see that the leaf moves up and down and back and forth about its original position. However, the leaf does not undergo any net displacement from the motion of the waves.

Figure 1. A pebble dropped into a pond creates ripple waves similar to those shown here.

The leaf ’s motion indicates the motion of the particles in the water. The water molecules move locally, like the leaf does, but they do not travel across the pond. That is, the water wave moves from one place to another, but the water itself is not carried with it.

Ripple waves in a pond start with a disturbance at some point in the water. This disturbance causes water on the surface near that point to move, which in turn causes points farther away to move. In this way, the waves travel outward in a circular pattern away from the original disturbance.

In this example, the water in the pond is the medium through which the disturbance travels. Particles in the medium—in this case, water molecules—move in vertical circles as waves pass. Note that the medium does not actually travel with the waves. After the waves have passed, the water returns to its original position.

Waves of almost every kind require a material medium in which to travel. Sound waves, for example, cannot travel through outer space, because space is very nearly a vacuum. In order for sound waves to travel, they must have a medium such as air or water.Waves that require a material medium are called mechanical waves.

Not all wave propagation requires a medium. Electromagnetic waves, such as visible light, radio waves, microwaves, and X rays, can travel through a vacuum. You will study electromagnetic waves in later chapters.

Waves transfer energy

When a pebble is dropped into a pond, the water wave that is produced carries a certain amount of energy. As the wave spreads to other parts of the pond, the energy likewise moves across the pond. Thus, the wave transfers energy from one place in the pond to another while the water remains in essentially the same place. In other words, waves transfer energy by the vibration of matter rather than by the transfer of matter itself. For this reason, waves are often able to transport energy efficiently.

The rate at which a wave transfers energy depends on the amplitude at which the particles of the medium are vibrating. The greater the amplitude, the more energy a wave carries in a given time interval. For a mechanical wave, the energy transferred is proportional to the square of the wave’s amplitude.

When the amplitude of a mechanical wave is doubled, the energy it carries in a given time interval increases by a factor of four. Conversely, when the amplitude is halved, the energy decreases by a factor of four.

As with a mass-spring system or a simple pendulum, the amplitude of a wave gradually diminishes over time as its energy is dissipated. This effect, called damping, is usually minimal over relatively short distances. For simplicity, we have disregarded damping in our analysis of wave motions.