Longitudinal Waves (Edexcel International A Level Physics)
Revision Note
Longitudinal Waves
Longitudinal Waves
A longitudinal wave is one where the particles oscillate parallel to the;
Propagation of the wave
Direction of energy transfer
Longitudinal waves show areas of
High pressure, called compressions
Low pressure, called rarefactions
Diagram of a longitudinal wave
Examples of longitudinal waves are:
Sound waves
Ultrasound waves
P-waves caused by earthquakes
Longitudinal waves cannot be polarised
Labelling Longitudinal Waves
You learned how to describe the properties of a wave, such as amplitude and wavelength at the start of this topic
The diagram shows a wavelength on a longitudinal wave
Wavelength is shown on a longitudinal wave
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Questions about longitudinal waves typically start by asking for a definition, so be ready with a statement about areas of high and low pressure and the keywords compression and rarefaction.
Be careful with graphs of waves and don't assume a sinusoidal-shaped graph represents a transverse wave. Longitudinal waves can also look sinusoidal when plotted on a graph - make sure you read the question and look for whether the wave travels parallel (longitudinal) or perpendicular (transverse) to the direction of travel to confirm which type of wave it is.
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