Question

You and a friend are holding the two ends of a Slinky stretched out between you. How would you move your end of the Slinky to create (a) transverse waves or (b) longitudinal waves?

Short answer

Answer: To create a transverse wave with a Slinky, move your end up and down perpendicular to the direction of the stretched Slinky, causing a horizontal wave to travel through it. For a longitudinal wave, move your end back and forth parallel to the stretched Slinky, causing it to compress and expand as the wave moves through it.

Step-by-step solution

Creating Transverse Waves

To create transverse waves in a Slinky, you will need to move your end of the Slinky up and down (perpendicular to the direction of the stretched Slinky). This motion will cause parts of the Slinky to move up and down as well, creating a wave that moves through the Slinky horizontally. The key motion here is to move your hand in an up and down motion without moving it horizontally.

Creating Longitudinal Waves

To create longitudinal waves in a Slinky, you will need to move your end of the Slinky back and forth (parallel to the direction of the stretched Slinky). This motion will cause parts of the Slinky to compress and expand as the wave moves through it. The key motion here is to move your hand in a back and forth motion along the same line as the stretched Slinky, without moving it up and down.

Key concepts

Transverse Waves

Transverse waves are an important type of wave motion in physics. In a transverse wave, the direction of the wave is perpendicular to the direction of the vibration or movement causing the wave. Imagine standing at one end of a Slinky and flicking your wrist up and down. This up-and-down movement will create disturbances that travel along the length of the Slinky. It's as if small parts of the Slinky are doing a wave at a sports event, moving up and down as the wave travels horizontally.

A common feature of transverse waves is that the medium through which the wave travels moves perpendicular to the direction of the wave itself. This can be seen in water waves where the surface of the water moves up and down while the wave travels forward. Another key example of transverse waves is light waves, although these do not require a medium to travel through.

• Direction of vibration: Perpendicular to wave travel
• Examples: Light waves, water surface waves
• Medium displacement: Up and down motion

Longitudinal Waves

Longitudinal waves work differently compared to transverse waves. In a longitudinal wave, the vibration or movement that creates the wave is parallel to the direction of the wave itself. Picture the Slinky again. This time, if you push and pull the Slinky along its stretched length, you create regions where the Slinky coils compress together and then spread apart. This pattern travels along the Slinky from one end to the other.

Longitudinal waves are the basis for sound waves, which require a medium like air or water to travel. When someone speaks, their vocal cords create longitudinal waves in the air, leading to the compressions and rarefactions that we perceive as sound.

• Direction of vibration: Parallel to wave travel
• Examples: Sound waves, seismic P-waves
• Medium displacement: Compression and expansion along the wave direction

Wave Motion

Wave motion is essential in the study of physics as it explains how energy travels through different mediums. All waves, whether transverse or longitudinal, entail the transfer of energy from one point to another, even though the particles of the medium only move slightly from their resting positions.

Two primary types of wave motion exist: mechanical and electromagnetic. Mechanical waves, like sound or water waves, require a medium to travel through, while electromagnetic waves, such as light and radio waves, do not need any medium. Regardless of their type, all waves have common characteristics, including:

• Wavelength: The distance between two consecutive points in phase
• Amplitude: The maximum displacement of points on a wave
• Frequency: How often the wave cycles or oscillates

Understanding wave motion helps us explain natural phenomena, from the gentle lapping of waves at the beach to the invisible rays transmitting music to our radios.

Slinky Experiment

The Slinky experiment is a popular and hands-on way to visualize wave types in physics. By manipulating a Slinky, you can easily demonstrate both transverse and longitudinal waves, making it an excellent teaching tool for understanding wave behavior and properties.

When performing the experiment, ensure the Slinky is stretched out sufficiently between two people. To show transverse waves, one end of the Slinky is moved up and down, whereas, for longitudinal waves, one end is moved parallel to the Slinky’s length. This experiment vividly illustrates the difference in wave directionality and how energy travels through the medium.

• Transverse waves: Move end perpendicular to the length
• Longitudinal waves: Move end parallel to the length
• Teaches wave characteristics like wavelength and amplitude

The Slinky experiment not only helps in understanding theoretical aspects of wave mechanics but also engages students physically, making learning interactive and fun.