Wave characteristics
What is a wave?
- Waves carry energy from one place to another.
- Because waves carry energy, some waves are used for communication, eg radioLong wavelength used for communication in the EM spectrum. and television waves and mobile telephone signals.
- There are many types of waves including sound waves, water waves and all the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Some types of waves need to be transmitted through matter, either a solid, liquid or a gas. For example, water waves have to travel in water. Sound waves need a solid, a liquid or a gas to travel in.
- The waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, like light or UV waves, do not need any matter to travel in.