Anatomy of a Wave

If you have ever been to the beach or seen the beach on television or in the movies, the first images that may come to mind are sand, sun, water, and waves. Waves occur in your daily life as well, from sound to light. Those same waves share similar qualities to those of the ocean, as in the way you measure a wave's height, length, period, frequency, and shape. There are various types of waves, and some of them are specific to the fluid, such as ocean water. There is even variety in the types of waves that occur in the ocean.

Essential Questions

• What is a wave?
• What are progressive waves and how do they form?
• What causes a standing wave?
• What are the crest, trough, height, wavelength, period, and frequency of a wave?
• What disturbing forces cause waves?
• What are the differences between deep water and shallow water waves?
• What causes internal waves?
• What causes a seismic wave?
• What five actions effect a progressive wave?