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wave

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Dictionary: wave   (wāv) pronunciation


v., waved, wav·ing, waves.

v.intr.
  1. To move freely back and forth or up and down in the air, as branches in the wind.
  2. To make a signal with an up-and-down or back-and-forth movement of the hand or an object held in the hand: waved as she drove by.
  3. To have an undulating or wavy form; curve or curl: Her hair waves naturally.
v.tr.
  1. To cause to move back and forth or up and down, either once or repeatedly: She waved a fan before her face.
    1. To move or swing as in giving a signal: He waved his hand. See synonyms at flourish.
    2. To signal or express by waving the hand or an object held in the hand: We waved goodbye.
    3. To signal (a person) to move in a specified direction: The police officer waved the motorist into the right lane.
  2. To arrange into curves, curls, or undulations: wave one's hair.
n.
    1. A ridge or swell moving through or along the surface of a large body of water.
    2. A small ridge or swell moving across the interface of two fluids and dependent on surface tension.
  1. The sea. Often used in the plural: vanished beneath the waves.
  2. Something that suggests the form and motion of a wave in the sea, especially:
    1. A moving curve or succession of curves in or on a surface; an undulation: waves of wheat in the wind.
    2. A curve or succession of curves, as in the hair.
    3. A curved shape, outline, or pattern.
  3. A movement up and down or back and forth: a wave of the hand.
    1. A surge or rush, as of sensation: a wave of nausea; a wave of indignation.
    2. A sudden great rise, as in activity or intensity: a wave of panic selling on the stock market.
    3. A rising trend that involves large numbers of individuals: a wave of conservatism.
    4. One of a succession of mass movements: the first wave of settlers.
    5. A maneuver in which fans at a sports event simulate an ocean wave by rising quickly in sequence with arms upraised and then quickly sitting down again in a continuous rolling motion.
  4. A widespread, persistent meteorological condition, especially of temperature: a heat wave.
  5. Physics.
    1. A disturbance traveling through a medium by which energy is transferred from one particle of the medium to another without causing any permanent displacement of the medium itself.
    2. A graphic representation of the variation of such a disturbance with time.
    3. A single cycle of such a disturbance.
phrasal verb:

wave off

  1. To dismiss or refuse by waving the hand or arm: waved off his invitation to join the group.
  2. Sports. To cancel or nullify by waving the arms, usually from a crossed position: waved off the goal because time had run out.

[Middle English waven, from Old English wafian.]

waver wav'er n.

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wave

Physics

Propagation of disturbances from place to place in a regular and organized way. Most familiar are surface waves that travel on water, but sound, light, and the motion of subatomic particles all exhibit wavelike properties. In the simplest waves, the disturbance oscillates periodically (see periodic motion) with a fixed frequency and wavelength. Mechanical waves, such as sound, require a medium through which to travel, while electromagnetic waves (see electromagnetic radiation) do not require a medium and can be propagated through a vacuum. Propagation of a wave through a medium depends on the medium's properties. See also seismic wave.

Geology

In oceanography, a ridge or swell on the surface of a body of water, normally having a forward motion distinct from the motions of the particles that compose it. Ocean waves are fairly regular, with an identifiable wavelength between adjacent crests and with a definite frequency of oscillation. Waves result when a generating force (usually the wind) displaces surface water and a restoring force returns it to its undisturbed position. Surface tension alone is the restoring force for small waves. For large waves, gravity is more important.

For more information on wave, visit Britannica.com.

The general term applied to the description of a disturbance which propagates from one point in a medium to other points without giving the medium as a whole any permanent displacement.

Waves are generally described in terms of their amplitude, and how the amplitude varies with both space and time. The actual description of the wave amplitude involves a solution of the wave equation and the particular boundary conditions for the case being studied. See also Wave equation; Wave motion.

Acoustic waves, or sound waves, are a particular kind of the general class of elastic waves. Elastic waves are propagated in media having two properties, inertia and elasticity. Electromagnetic waves (for example, light waves and radio waves) are not elastic waves and therefore can travel through a vacuum. The velocity of the wave depends on the medium through which the wave travels. See also Electromagnetic wave.


A ripple or undulation. All electromagnetic radiation, including radio signals, light rays, x-rays, and cosmic rays, as well as sound, behave like rippling waves in the ocean. To visualize a wave, take a piece of paper and keep drawing a line up and down while pulling the paper perpendicular to the line. Modulate the line by making it different lengths as you draw it with the paper moving, and notice the resulting pattern. See wave-particle duality and wavelength.

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A metaphor for daily market activity that goes against the weekly market tide.

Investopedia Says:
An investor trading daily would measure the market waves, or the daily market trends, with various oscillators from the triple screen trading system.

The ocean metaphors for market trends were coined by one of the markets first technical analysts, Robert Rhea.

Related Links:
Acquaint yourself with the principle built on the discovery that stock markets did not behave in a chaotic manner. Elliott Wave Theory
Discover new developments that help you apply this difficult theory to trading and how computer power can help reduce the guess-work. Elliott Wave In The 21st Century


Thesaurus:

wave

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verb

  1. To move to and fro vigorously and usually repeatedly: switch, wag1, waggle. See repetition.
  2. To move or cause to move about while being fixed at one edge: flap, flutter, fly. See repetition.
  3. To move (one's arms or wings, for example) up and down: beat, flap, flitter, flop, flutter, waggle. See repetition.
  4. To wield boldly and dramatically: brandish, flourish, sweep. See express.
  5. To have or cause to have a curved or sinuous form or surface: curl, curve, undulate. See straight/bent.

 
in the earth sciences
in physics

wave, in oceanography, an oscillating movement up and down, of a body of water caused by the frictional drag of the wind, or on a larger scale, by submarine earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides. In seismology, waves moving though the earth are caused by the propagation of a disturbance generated by an earthquake or explosion. In atmospheric science, waves are periodic disturbances in the air flow.

Oceanographic Waves

In a body of water, waves consist of a series of crests and troughs, where wavelength is the distance between two successive crests (or successive troughs). As waves are generated, the water particles are set in motion, following vertical circular orbits. Water particles momentarily move forward as the wave crest passes and backward as the trough passes. Thus, except for a slight forward drag, the water particles remain in essentially the same place as successive waves pass. The orbital motion of the water particles decreases in size at depths below the surface, so that at a depth equal to about one half of the wave's length, the water particles are barely oscillating back and forth. Thus, for even the largest waves, their effect is negligible below a depth of 980 ft (300 m).

The height and period of water waves in the deep ocean are determined by wind velocity, the duration of the wind, and the fetch (the distance the wind has blown across the water). In stormy areas, the waves are not uniform but form a confusing pattern of many waves of different periods and heights. Storms also produce white caps at wind speeds c.8 mi per hr (13 km per hr). Major storm waves can be over a half mile long and travel close to c.25 mi per hr (40 km per hour). A wave in the Gulf of Mexico associated with Hurricane Ivan (2004) measured 91 ft (27.7 m) high, and scientists believe that other waves produced by Ivan may have reached as much as 132 ft (40 m) high. Waves of similar heights, sometimes called rogue waves, most commonly occur in regions of strong ocean currents, which can amplify wind-driven waves when they flow in opposing directions; sandbanks may also act to focus wave energy and give rise to rogue waves.

When waves approach a shore, the orbital motion of the water particles becomes influenced by the bottom of the body of water and the wavelength decreases as the wave slows. As the water becomes shallower the wave steepens further until it "breaks" in a breaker, or surf, carrying the water forward and onto the beach in a turbulent fashion. Because waves usually approach the shore at an angle, a longshore (littoral) current is generated parallel to the shoreline. These currents can be effective in eroding and transporting sediment along the shore (see coast protection; beach).

In many enclosed or partly enclosed bodies of water such as lakes or bays, a wave form called a standing wave, or seiche, commonly develops as a result of storms or rapid changes in air pressure. These waves do not move forward, but the water surface moves up and down at antinodal points, while it remains stationary at nodal points.

Internal waves can form within waters that are density stratified and are similar to wind-driven waves. They usually cannot be seen on the surface, although oil slicks, plankton, and sediment tend to collect on the surface above troughs of internal waves. Any condition that causes waters of different density to come into contact with one another can lead to internal waves. They tend to have lower velocities but greater heights than surface waves. Very little is known about internal waves, which may move sediment on deeper parts of continental shelves.

Just as a rock dropped into water produces waves, sudden displacements such as landslides and earthquakes can produce high energy waves of short duration that can devastate coastal regions (see tsunami). Hurricanes traveling over shallow coastal waters can generate storm surges that in turn can cause devastating coastal flooding (see under storm).

Seismic and Atmospheric Waves

Seismic waves are generated in the earth by the movements of earthquakes or explosions. Depending on the material traveled through, surface and internal waves move at variable velocities. Layers of the earth, including the core, mantle, and crust, have been discerned using seismic wave profiles. Seismic waves from explosions have been used to understand the subsurface structure of the crust and upper mantle and in the exploration for oil and gas deposits. Atmospheric waves are caused by differences in temperature, the Coriolis effect, and the influence of highlands.

wave, in physics, the transfer of energy by the regular vibration, or oscillatory motion, either of some material medium or by the variation in magnitude of the field vectors of an electromagnetic field (see electromagnetic radiation). Many familiar phenomena are associated with energy transfer in the form of waves. Sound is a longitudinal wave that travels through material media by alternatively forcing the molecules of the medium closer together, then spreading them apart. Light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation travel through space as transverse waves; the displacements at right angles to the direction of the waves are the field intensity vectors rather than motions of the material particles of some medium. With the development of the quantum theory, it was found that particles in motion also have certain wave properties, including an associated wavelength and frequency related to their momentum and energy. Thus, the study of waves and wave motion has applications throughout the entire range of physical phenomena.

Classification of Waves

Waves may be classified according to the direction of vibration relative to that of the energy transfer. In longitudinal, or compressional, waves the vibration is in the same direction as the transfer of energy; in transverse waves the vibration is at right angles to the transfer of energy; in torsional waves the vibration consists of a twisting motion as the medium rotates back and forth around the direction of energy transfer. The three types of waves are illustrated by an example in which a coil spring is held stretched out by two persons. If the person holding one end pulls a few coils toward himself and releases them, a longitudinal wave will travel along the spring, with coils alternately being pressed closer together, then stretched apart, as the wave passes. If the first person then shakes his end up and down or from side to side, a transverse wave will travel along the spring. Finally, if he grabs several coils and twists them around the axis of the spring, a torsional wave will travel along the spring.

A wave may be a combination of types. Water waves in deep water are mainly transverse. However, as they approach a shore they interact with the bottom and acquire a longitudinal component. When the longitudinal component becomes very large compared to the transverse component, the wave breaks.

Parameters of Waves

The maximum displacement of the medium in either direction is the amplitude of the wave. The distance between successive crests or successive troughs (corresponding to maximum displacements in the same direction) is the wavelength of the wave. The frequency of the wave is equal to the number of crests (or troughs) that pass a given fixed point per unit of time. Closely related to the frequency is the period of the wave, which is the time lapse between the passage of successive crests (or troughs). The frequency of a wave is the inverse of the period.

One full wavelength of a wave represents one complete cycle, that is, one complete vibration in each direction. The various parts of a cycle are described by the phase of the wave; all waves are referenced to an imaginary synchronous motion in a circle; thus the phase is measured in angular degrees, one complete cycle being 360°. Two waves whose corresponding parts occur at the same time are said to be in phase. If the two waves are at different parts of their cycles, they are out of phase. Waves out of phase by 180° are in phase opposition. The various phase relationships between combining waves determines the type of interference that takes place.

The speed of a wave is determined by its wavelength λ and its frequency ν, according to the equation v=λν, where v is the speed, or velocity. Since frequency is inversely related to the period T, this equation also takes the form v=λ/T. The speed of a wave tells how quickly the energy it carries is being transferred. It is important to note that the speed is that of the wave itself and not of the medium through which it is traveling. The medium itself does not move except to oscillate as the wave passes.

Wave Fronts and Rays

In the graphic representation and analysis of wave behavior, two concepts are widely used-wave fronts and rays. A wave front is a line representing all parts of a wave that are in phase and an equal number of wavelengths from the source of the wave. The shape of the wave front depends upon the nature of the source; a point source will emit waves having circular or spherical wave fronts, while a large, extended source will emit waves whose wave fronts are effectively flat, or plane. A ray is a line extending outward from the source and representing the direction of propagation of the wave at any point along it. Rays are perpendicular to wave fronts.


Electric, electromagnetic, acoustic, mechanical or other form whose physical activity rises and falls or advances and retreats periodically as it travels through some medium.


(DOD, NATO) 1. A formation of forces, landing ships, craft, amphibious vehicles or aircraft, required to beach or land about the same time. Can be classified as to type, function or order as shown: a. assault wave; b. boat wave; c. helicopter wave; d. numbered wave; e. on-call wave; f. scheduled wave. 2. (DOD only) An undulation of water caused by the progressive movement of energy from point to point along the surface of the water.

Word Tutor:

wave

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Moving ridges of water that break onto the beach.

pronunciation The wave crashed onto the sand.

as in: waves in the water
sign description: Both flat hands make a waving motion away from the body.




In physics, any regularly recurring event, such as surf coming in toward a beach, that can be thought of as a disturbance moving through a medium. Waves are characterized by wavelength, frequency, and the speed at which they move. Waves are found in many forms.

  • The motion of a wave and the motion of the medium on which the wave moves are not the same: ocean waves, for example, move toward the beach, but the water itself merely moves up and down. Sound waves are spread by alternating compression and expansion of air.
  • Wikipedia:

    Wave

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    A wave is a disturbance that propagates through space and time, usually with transference of energy. A mechanical wave is a wave that propagates or travels through a medium due to the restoring forces it produces upon deformation. There also exist waves capable of traveling through a vacuum, including electromagnetic radiation and probably[1] gravitational radiation. Waves travel and transfer energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium (that is, with little or no associated mass transport); they consist instead of oscillations or vibrations around almost fixed locations.

    Contents

    Definitions

    Diving grebe creates surface waves

    Agreeing on a single, all-encompassing definition for the term wave is non-trivial. A vibration can be defined as a back-and-forth motion around a reference value. However, a vibration is not necessarily a wave. Defining the necessary and sufficient characteristics that qualify a phenomenon to be called a wave is, at least, flexible.

    The term is often understood intuitively as the transport of disturbances in space, not associated with motion of the medium occupying this space as a whole. In a wave, the energy of a vibration is moving away from the source in the form of a disturbance within the surrounding medium (Hall 1980, p. 8). However, this notion is problematic for a standing wave (for example, a wave on a string), where energy is moving in both directions equally, or for electromagnetic / light waves in a vacuum, where the concept of medium does not apply. There are water waves in the ocean; light waves from the sun; microwaves inside the microwave oven; radio waves transmitted to the radio; and sound waves from the radio, telephone, and voices.

    It may be seen that the description of waves is accompanied by a heavy reliance on physical origin when describing any specific instance of a wave process. For example, acoustics is distinguished from optics in that sound waves are related to a mechanical rather than an electromagnetic wave-like transfer / transformation of vibratory energy. Concepts such as mass, momentum, inertia, or elasticity, become therefore crucial in describing acoustic (as distinct from optic) wave processes. This difference in origin introduces certain wave characteristics particular to the properties of the medium involved (for example, in the case of air: vortices, radiation pressure, shock waves, etc., in the case of solids: Rayleigh waves, dispersion, etc., and so on).

    Other properties, however, although they are usually described in an origin-specific manner, may be generalized to all waves. For such reasons, wave theory represents a particular branch of physics that is concerned with the properties of wave processes independently from their physical origin.[2] For example, based on the mechanical origin of acoustic waves there can be a moving disturbance in space–time if and only if the medium involved is neither infinitely stiff nor infinitely pliable. If all the parts making up a medium were rigidly bound, then they would all vibrate as one, with no delay in the transmission of the vibration and therefore no wave motion. On the other hand, if all the parts were independent, then there would not be any transmission of the vibration and again, no wave motion. Although the above statements are meaningless in the case of waves that do not require a medium, they reveal a characteristic that is relevant to all waves regardless of origin: within a wave, the phase of a vibration (that is, its position within the vibration cycle) is different for adjacent points in space because the vibration reaches these points at different times.

    Similarly, wave processes revealed from the study of waves other than sound waves can be significant to the understanding of sound phenomena. A relevant example is Thomas Young's principle of interference (Young, 1802, in Hunt 1992, p. 132). This principle was first introduced in Young's study of light and, within some specific contexts (for example, scattering of sound by sound), is still a researched area in the study of sound.

    Characteristics

    Periodic waves are characterized by crests (highs) and troughs (lows), and may usually be categorized as either longitudinal or transverse. Transverse waves are those with vibrations perpendicular to the direction of the propagation of the wave; examples include waves on a string, and electromagnetic waves. Longitudinal waves are those with vibrations parallel to the direction of the propagation of the wave; examples include most sound waves.

    When an object bobs up and down on a ripple in a pond, it experiences an orbital trajectory because ripples are not simple transverse sinusoidal waves.

    A = In deep water.
    B = In shallow water. The elliptical movement of a surface particle becomes flatter with decreasing depth.
    1 = Progression of wave
    2 = Crest
    3 = Trough

    Ripples on the surface of a pond are actually a combination of transverse and longitudinal waves; therefore, the points on the surface follow orbital paths.

    All waves have common behavior under a number of standard situations. All waves can experience the following:

    • Reflection — change in wave direction after it strikes a reflective surface, causing the angle the wave makes with the reflective surface in relation to a normal line to the surface to equal the angle the reflected wave makes with the same normal line
    • Refraction — change in wave direction because of a change in the wave's speed from entering a new medium
    • Diffraction — bending of waves as they interact with obstacles in their path, which is more pronounced for wavelengths on the order of the diffracting object size
    • Interferencesuperposition of two waves that come into contact with each other (collide)
    • Dispersion — wave splitting up by frequency
    • Rectilinear propagation — the movement of light waves in a straight line also helpful for seismographs

    Polarization

    A wave is polarized if it oscillates in one direction or plane. A wave can be polarized by the use of a polarizing filter. The polarization of a transverse wave describes the direction of oscillation in the plane perpendicular to the direction of travel.

    Longitudinal waves such as sound waves do not exhibit polarization. For these waves the direction of oscillation is along the direction of travel.this is very important

    Examples

    An ocean surface wave crashing into rocks

    Examples of waves include:

    Mathematical description

    Wavelength of a cosine wave, λ, can be measured between any two points with the same phase, such as between crests, or troughs, or corresponding zero crossings as shown.

    Sinusoidal waves

    Mathematically, the most basic wave is the sine wave (or harmonic wave or sinusoid), with an amplitude u described by the equation:

    u(x, \ t)= A \cos (kx - \omega t + \phi) \ ,

    where A is the semi-amplitude of the wave, half the peak-to-peak amplitude, often called simply the amplitude – the maximum distance from the highest point of the disturbance in the medium (the crest) to the equilibrium point during one wave cycle. In the illustration to the right, this is the maximum vertical distance between the baseline and the wave; x is the space coordinate, t is the time coordinate, k is the wavenumber (spatial frequency), ω is the temporal frequency, and φ is a phase offset.

    The units of the semi-amplitude depend on the type of wave — waves on a string have an amplitude expressed as a distance (meters), sound waves as pressure (pascals) and electromagnetic waves as the amplitude of the electric field (volts/meter).

    The wavelength (denoted as λ) is the distance between two sequential crests (or troughs), and generally is measured in meters.

    A wavenumber k, the spatial frequency of the wave in radians per unit distance (typically per meter), can be associated with the wavelength by the relation

    
k = \frac{2 \pi}{\lambda}. \,
    Sine waves correspond to simple harmonic motion.

    The period T is the time for one complete cycle of an oscillation of a wave. The frequency f (also frequently denoted as ν ) is the number of periods per unit time (per second) and is measured in hertz. These are related by:

    
f=\frac{1}{T}. \,

    In other words, the frequency and period of a wave are reciprocals.

    The angular frequency ω represents the frequency in radians per second. It is related to the frequency by

    
\omega = 2 \pi f = \frac{2 \pi}{T}. \,
    Various local wavelengths on a crest-to-crest basis in an ocean wave approaching shore.[4]

    The wavelength λ of a sinusoidal waveform traveling at constant speed v is given by:[5]

    \lambda = \frac{v}{f},
    Refraction: when a plane wave encounters a medium in which it has a slower speed, the wavelength decreases, and the direction adjusts accordingly.

    where v is called the phase speed (magnitude of the phase velocity) of the wave and f is the wave's frequency.

    Wavelength can be a useful concept even if the wave is not periodic in space. For example, in an ocean wave approaching shore, shown in the figure, the incoming wave undulates with a varying local wavelength that depends in part on the depth of the sea floor compared to the wave height. The analysis of the wave can be based upon comparison of the local wavelength with the local water depth.[4]

    Although arbitrary wave shapes will propagate unchanged in lossless linear time-invariant systems, in the presence of dispersion the sine wave is the unique shape that will propagate unchanged but for phase and amplitude, making it easy to analyze.[6] Due to the Kramers–Kronig relations, a linear medium with dispersion also exhibits loss, so the sine wave propagating in a dispersive medium is attenuated in certain frequency ranges that depend upon the medium.[7] The sine function is periodic, so the sine wave or sinusoid has a wavelength in space and a period in time.[8][9]

    The sinusoid is defined for all times and distances, whereas in physical situations we usually deal with waves that exist for a limited span in space and duration in time. Fortunately, an arbitrary wave shape can be decomposed into an infinite set of sinusoidal waves by the use of Fourier analysis. As a result, the simple case of a single sinusoidal wave can be applied to more general cases.[10][11] In particular, many media are linear, or nearly so, so the calculation of arbitrary wave behavior can be found by adding up responses to individual sinusoidal waves using the superposition principle to find the solution for a general waveform.[12] When a medium is nonlinear, the response to complex waves cannot be determined from a sine-wave decomposition.

    The wave equation

    The wave equation is a partial differential equation that describes the evolution of a wave over time in a medium where the wave propagates at the same speed independent of wavelength (no dispersion), and independent of amplitude (linear media, not nonlinear).[13] General solutions are based upon Duhamel's principle.[14]

    In particular, consider the wave equation in one dimension, for example, as applied to a string. Suppose a one-dimensional wave is traveling along the x axis with velocity v and amplitude u (which generally depends on both x and t), the wave equation is

    
\frac{1}{v^2}\frac{\partial^2 u}{\partial t^2}=\frac{\partial^2 u}{\partial x^2}. \,

    The velocity v will depend on the medium through which the wave is moving.

    The general solution for the wave equation in one dimension was given by d'Alembert; it is known as d'Alembert's formula:[15]

    
u(x,t)=F(x-vt)+G(x+vt). \,

    This formula represents two shapes traveling through the medium in opposite directions; F in the positive x direction, and G in the negative x direction, of arbitrary functional shapes F and G.

    Spatial and temporal relationships

    Wavelength of an irregular periodic waveform at a particular moment in time based upon the crest-to-crest or trough-to-trough definition of λ.[16]

    The form of the forward propagating wave F in d'Alembert's formula involves the argument x − vt. Constant values of this argument correspond to constant values of F, and these constant values occur if x increases at the same rate that vt increases. That is, the wave shaped like the function F will move in the positive x-direction at velocity v (and G will propagate at the same speed in the negative x-direction).[17]

    In the case of a periodic function F with period λ, that is, F(x + λvt) = F(xvt), the periodicity of F in space means that a snapshot of the wave at a given time t finds the wave varying periodically in space with period λ (sometimes called the wavelength of the wave). In a similar fashion, this periodicity of F implies a periodicity in time as well: F(xv(t + T)) = F(xvt) provided vT = λ, so an observation of the wave at a fixed location x finds the wave undulating periodically in time with period T = λ/v.[16]

    To summarize:

    "A function F (x) is periodic if F(x+ξ) = F(x), for all x. The constant ξ is called a period of the function. The smallest such period is called the fundamental period or simply the period of F. If x represents a space coordinate, then the period may instead be called the wavelength and is often written λ; if it represents the time coordinate, the period might instead be denoted by T." Flowers, p. 473[18]

    The Schrödinger equation

    The Schrödinger equation describes the wave-like behavior of particles in quantum mechanics. Solutions of this equation are wave functions which can be used to describe the probability density of a particle. Quantum mechanics also describes particle properties that other waves, such as light and sound, have on the atomic scale and below.

    A propagating wave packet; in general, the envelope of the wave packet moves at a different speed than the constituent waves.[19]

    Wave packets and the de Broglie wavelength

    Louis de Broglie postulated that all particles with momentum have a wavelength

    \lambda = \frac{h}{p},

    where h is Planck's constant, and p is the magnitude of the momentum of the particle. This hypothesis was at the basis of quantum mechanics. Nowadays, this wavelength is called the de Broglie wavelength. For example, the electrons in a CRT display have a de Broglie wavelength of about 10−13 m.

    A wave representing such a particle traveling in the k-direction is expressed by the wave function:

    \psi (\mathbf{r}, \ t=0) =A\  e^{i\mathbf{k \cdot r}} \ ,

    where the wavelength is determined by the wave vector k as:

     \lambda = \frac {2 \pi}{k} \ ,

    and the momentum by:

     \mathbf p = \hbar \mathbf{k} \ .

    However, a wave like this with definite wavelength is not localized in space, and so cannot represent a particle localized in space. To localize a particle, de Broglie proposed a superposition of different wavelengths ranging around a central value in a wave packet,[20] a waveform often used in quantum mechanics to describe the wave function of a particle. In a wave packet, the wavelength of the particle is not precise, and the local wavelength deviates on either side of the main wavelength value.

    In representing the wave function of a localized particle, the wave packet is often taken to have a Gaussian shape and is called a Gaussian wave packet.[21] Gaussian wave packets also are used to analyze water waves.[22]

    For example, a Gaussian wavefunction ψ might take the form:[23]

     \psi(x,\ t=0) = A\  \exp \left( -\frac{x^2}{2\sigma^2} + i k_0 x \right) \ ,

    at some initial time t = 0, where the central wavelength is related to the central wave vector k0 as λ0 = 2π / k0. It is well known from the theory of Fourier analysis,[24] or from the Heisenberg uncertainty principle (in the case of quantum mechanics) that a narrow range of wavelengths is necessary to produce a localized wave packet, and the more localized the envelope, the larger the spread in required wavelengths. The Fourier transform of a Gaussian is itself a Gaussian.[25] Given the Gaussian:

    f(x) = e^{-x^2 / (2\sigma^2)} \ ,

    the Fourier transform is:

    \tilde{ f} (k) = \sigma e^{-\sigma^2 k^2 / 2} \ .

    The Gaussian in space therefore is made up of waves:

    f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2 \pi}} \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \ \tilde{f} (k) e^{ikx} \ dk \ ;

    that is, a number of waves of wavelengths λ such that kλ = 2 π.

    The parameter σ decides the spatial spread of the Gaussian along the x-axis, while the Fourier transform shows a spread in wave vector k determined by 1/σ. That is, the smaller the extent in space, the larger the extent in k, and hence in λ = 2π/k.

    Illustration of the envelope (the slowly varying red curve) of an amplitude modulated wave. The fast varying blue curve is the carrier wave, which is being modulated.

    Modulated waves

    The amplitude of a wave may be constant (in which case the wave is a c.w. or continuous wave), or may be modulated so as to vary with time and/or position. The outline of the variation in amplitude is called the envelope of the wave. Mathematically, the modulated wave can be written in the form:[26][27][28]

    u(x, \ t) = A(x, \ t)\sin (kx - \omega t + \phi) \ ,

    where A(x,\ t) is the amplitude envelope of the wave, k is the wave number and φ is the phase. If the group velocity (see below) is wavelength independent, this equation can be simplified as:[29]

    u(x, \ t) = A(x - v_g \ t)\sin (kx - \omega t + \phi) \ ,

    where vg is the group velocity, showing that the envelope moves with velocity vg and retains its shape. Otherwise, in cases where the group velocity varies with wavelength, the pulse shape changes in a manner often described using an envelope equation.[29][30]

    Phase velocity and group velocity

    Frequency dispersion in groups of gravity waves on the surface of deep water. The red dot moves with the phase velocity, and the green dots propagate with the group velocity.

    There are two velocities that are associated with waves, the phase velocity and the group velocity. To understand them, one must consider several types of waveform. For simplification, examination is restricted to one dimension.

    The most basic wave (a form of plane wave) may be expressed in the form:

     \psi (x, \ t) = A e^{i \left( kx - \omega t \right)} \ ,

    which can be related to the usual sine and cosine forms using Euler's formula. Rewriting the argument, (kx −ωt) = (2π/λ)(x − vt), makes clear that this expression describes a vibration of wavelength λ = 2π/k traveling in the x-direction with a constant phase velocity vp:[31]

     v_p = \frac { \omega }{ k } \ .

    The other type of wave to be considered is one with localized structure described by an envelope, which may be expressed mathematically as, for example:

     \psi (x, \ t) = \int_{-\infty} ^{\infty}\ dk_1 \ A(k_1)\  e^{i\left(k_1x - \omega t \right)} \ ,

    where now A(k1) (the integral is the inverse fourier transform of A(k1)) is a function exhibiting a sharp peak in a region of wave vectors Δk surrounding the point k1 = k. In exponential form:

     A = A_o (k_1) e^ {i \alpha (k_1)} \ ,

    with Ao the magnitude of A. For example, a common choice for Ao is a Gaussian wave packet:[32]

    A_o (k_1) = N\ e^{-\sigma^2 (k_1-k)^2 / 2} \ ,

    where σ determines the spread of k1-values about k, and N is the amplitude of the wave.

    The exponential function inside the integral for ψ oscillates rapidly with its argument, say φ(k1), and where it varies rapidly, the exponentials cancel each other out, interfere destructively, contributing little to ψ.[31] However, an exception occurs at the location where the argument φ of the exponential varies slowly. (This observation is the basis for the method of stationary phase for evaluation of such integrals.[33]) The condition for φ to vary slowly is that its rate of change with k1 be small; this rate of variation is:[31]

    \left . \frac{d \varphi }{d k_1} \right | _{k_1 = k } = x - t \left . \frac{d \omega}{dk_1}\right | _{k_1 = k }  +\left . \frac{d \alpha}{d k_1}\right | _{k_1 = k }  \ ,

    where the evaluation is made at k1 = k because A(k1) is centered there. This result shows that the position x where the phase changes slowly, the position where ψ is appreciable, moves with time at a speed called the group velocity:

    v_g = \frac{d \omega}{dk} \ .

    The group velocity therefore depends upon the dispersion relation connecting ω and k. For example, in quantum mechanics the energy E = ħω = (ħk)2/(2m). Consequently,

     \frac{d \omega}{dk}= v_g = \frac {\hbar k}{m} \ ,

    showing that the velocity of a localized particle in quantum mechanics is its group velocity.[31] Because the group velocity varies with k, the shape of the wave packet broadens with time, and the particle becomes less localized.[34] In other words, the velocity of the constituent waves of the wave packet travel at a rate that varies with their wavelength, so some move faster than others, and they cannot maintain the same interference pattern as the wave propagates.

    Standing wave

    Standing wave in stationary medium. The red dots represent the wave nodes

    A standing wave, also known as a stationary wave, is a wave that remains in a constant position. This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling in opposite directions.

    The sum of two counter-propagating waves (of equal amplitude and frequency) creates a standing wave. Standing waves commonly arise when a boundary blocks further propagation of the wave, thus causing wave reflection, and therefore introducing a counter-propagating wave. For example when a violin string is displaced, longitudinal waves propagate out to where the string is held in place at the bridge and the "nut", whereupon the waves are reflected back. At the bridge and nut, the two opposed waves are in antiphase and cancel each other, producing a node. Halfway between two nodes there is an antinode, where the two counter-propagating waves enhance each other maximally. There is on average no net propagation of energy.

    Also see: Acoustic resonance, Helmholtz resonator, and organ pipe

    Propagation through strings

    The speed of a wave traveling along a vibrating string (v) is directly proportional to the square root of the tension of the string (T) over the linear mass density (μ):

    
v=\sqrt{\frac{T}{\mu}}, \,

    where the linear density μ is the mass per unit length of the string.

    Transmission medium

    The medium that carries a wave is called a transmission medium. It can be classified into one or more of the following categories:

    • A bounded medium if it is finite in extent, otherwise an unbounded medium
    • A linear medium if the amplitudes of different waves at any particular point in the medium can be added
    • A uniform medium or homogeneous medium if its physical properties are unchanged at different locations in space
    • An isotropic medium if its physical properties are the same in different directions

    WKB method

    In a nonuniform medium, in which the wavenumber k can depend on the location as well as the frequency, the phase term kx is typically replaced by the integral of k(x)dx, according to the WKB method. Such nonuniform traveling waves are common in many physical problems, including the mechanics of the cochlea and waves on hanging ropes.

    Notes

    1. ^ Gravitational waves have never been directly detected but are widely believed by the scientific community to exist.
    2. ^ Lev A. Ostrovsky & Alexander I. Potapov (2002). Modulated waves: theory and application. John Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801873258. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0801873258. 
    3. ^ Lighthill, M. J., Whitham, G. B., 1955. On kinematic waves. II. A theory of traffic flow on long crowded roads. Procedings of Royal Society A 229, 281-345] and Richards [Richards, P.I., 1956. Shockwaves on the highway. Operations Research 4, 42-51
    4. ^ a b Paul R Pinet. op. cit.. p. 242. ISBN 0763759937. http://books.google.com/books?id=6TCm8Xy-sLUC&pg=PA242. 
    5. ^ David C. Cassidy, Gerald James Holton, Floyd James Rutherford (2002). Understanding physics. Birkhäuser. pp. 339 ff. ISBN 0387987568. http://books.google.com/books?id=rpQo7f9F1xUC&pg=PA340. 
    6. ^ Mischa Schwartz, William R. Bennett, and Seymour Stein (1995). Communication Systems and Techniques. John Wiley and Sons. p. 208. ISBN 9780780347151. http://books.google.com/books?id=oRSHWmaiZwUC&pg=PA208&dq=sine+wave+medium++linear+time-invariant&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=u69cSpuKNZDKkASph-GaBw. 
    7. ^ See Eq. 5.10 and discussion in A. G. G. M. Tielens (2005). The physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium. Cambridge University Press. pp. 119 ff. ISBN 0521826349. http://books.google.com/books?id=wMnvg681JXMC&pg=PA119. ; Eq. 6.36 and associated discussion in Otfried Madelung (1996). Introduction to solid-state theory (3rd ed.). Springer. pp. 261 ff. ISBN 354060443X. http://books.google.com/books?id=yK_J-3_p8_oC&pg=PA261. ; and Eq. 3.5 in F Mainardi (1996). "Transient waves in linear viscoelastic media". in Ardéshir Guran, A. Bostrom, Herbert Überall, O. Leroy. Acoustic Interactions with Submerged Elastic Structures: Nondestructive testing, acoustic wave propagation and scattering. World Scientific. p. 134. ISBN 9810242719. http://books.google.com/books?id=UfSk45nCVKMC&pg=PA134. 
    8. ^ Aleksandr Tikhonovich Filippov (2000). The versatile soliton. Springer. p. 106. ISBN 0817636358. http://books.google.com/books?id=TC4MCYBSJJcC&pg=PA106. 
    9. ^ Seth Stein, Michael E. Wysession (2003). An introduction to seismology, earthquakes, and earth structure. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 31. ISBN 0865420785. http://books.google.com/books?id=Kf8fyvRd280C&pg=PA31. 
    10. ^ Seth Stein, Michael E. Wysession. op. cit.. p. 32. ISBN 0865420785. http://books.google.com/books?id=Kf8fyvRd280C&pg=PA32. 
    11. ^ Kimball A. Milton, Julian Seymour Schwinger (2006). Electromagnetic Radiation: Variational Methods, Waveguides and Accelerators. Springer. p. 16. ISBN 3540293043. http://books.google.com/books?id=x_h2rai2pYwC&pg=PA16. "Thus, an arbitrary function f(r, t) can be synthesized by a proper superposition of the functions exp[i (k·r−ωt)]…" 
    12. ^ Raymond A. Serway and John W. Jewett (2005). "§14.1 The Principle of Superposition". Principles of physics (4th ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 433. ISBN 053449143X. http://books.google.com/books?id=1DZz341Pp50C&pg=PA433. 
    13. ^ Michael A. Slawinski, Klause Helbig (2003). "Wave equations". Seismic waves and rays in elastic media. Elsevier. pp. 131 ff. ISBN 0080439306. http://books.google.com/books?id=s7bp6ezoRhcC&pg=PA134. 
    14. ^ Jalal M. Ihsan Shatah, Michael Struwe (2000). "The linear wave equation". Geometric wave equations. American Mathematical Society Bookstore. pp. 37 ff. ISBN 0821827499. http://books.google.com/books?id=zsasG2axbSoC&pg=PA37. 
    15. ^ Karl F Graaf (1991). Wave motion in elastic solids (Reprint of Oxford 1975 ed.). Dover. pp. 13–14. http://books.google.com/books?id=5cZFRwLuhdQC&printsec=frontcover. 
    16. ^ a b Alexander McPherson (2009). "Waves and their properties". Introduction to Macromolecular Crystallography (2 ed.). Wiley. p. 77. ISBN 0470185902. http://books.google.com/books?id=o7sXm2GSr9IC&pg=PA77. 
    17. ^ Louis Lyons (1998). All you wanted to know about mathematics but were afraid to ask. Cambridge University Press. pp. 128 ff. ISBN 052143601X. http://books.google.com/books?id=WdPGzHG3DN0C&pg=PA128. 
    18. ^ Brian Hilton Flowers (2000). An introduction to numerical methods in C++ (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 473. ISBN 0198506937. http://books.google.com/books?id=weYj75E_t6MC&pg=RA1-PA473. 
    19. ^ A. T. Fromhold (1991). "Wave packet solutions". Quantum Mechanics for Applied Physics and Engineering (Reprint of Academic Press 1981 ed.). Courier Dover Publications. pp. 59 ff. ISBN 0486667413. http://books.google.com/books?id=3SOwc6npkIwC&pg=PA59. "(p. 61) …the individual waves move more slowly than the packet and therefore pass back through the packet as it advances" 
    20. ^ Ming Chiang Li (1980). "Electron Interference". in L. Marton & Claire Marton. Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics. 53. Academic Press. p. 271. ISBN 0120146533. http://books.google.com/books?id=g5q6tZRwUu4C&pg=PA271. 
    21. ^ See for example Walter Greiner, D. Allan Bromley (2007). Quantum Mechanics (2 ed.). Springer. p. 60. ISBN 3540674586. http://books.google.com/books?id=7qCMUfwoQcAC&pg=PA60.  and John Joseph Gilman (2003). Electronic basis of the strength of materials. Cambridge University Press. p. 57. ISBN 0521620058. http://books.google.com/books?id=YWd7zHU0U7UC&pg=PA57. ,Donald D. Fitts (1999). Principles of quantum mechanics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521658411. http://books.google.com/books?id=8t4DiXKIvRgC&pg=PA17. .
    22. ^ Chiang C. Mei (1989). The applied dynamics of ocean surface waves (2nd ed.). World Scientific. p. 47. ISBN 9971507897. http://books.google.com/books?id=WHMNEL-9lqkC&pg=PA47. 
    23. ^ Walter Greiner, D. Allan Bromley (2007). Quantum Mechanics (2nd ed.). Springer. p. 60. ISBN 3540674586. http://books.google.com/books?id=7qCMUfwoQcAC&pg=PA60. 
    24. ^ Siegmund Brandt, Hans Dieter Dahmen (2001). The picture book of quantum mechanics (3rd ed.). Springer. p. 23. ISBN 0387951415. http://books.google.com/books?id=VM4GFlzHg34C&pg=PA23. 
    25. ^ Cyrus D. Cantrell (2000). Modern mathematical methods for physicists and engineers. Cambridge University Press. p. 677. ISBN 0521598273. http://books.google.com/books?id=QKsiFdOvcwsC&pg=PA677. 
    26. ^ Christian Jirauschek (2005). FEW-cycle Laser Dynamics and Carrier-envelope Phase Detection. Cuvillier Verlag. p. 9. ISBN 3865374190. http://books.google.com/books?id=6kOoT_AX2CwC&pg=PA9. 
    27. ^ Fritz Kurt Kneubühl (1997). Oscillations and waves. Springer. p. 365. ISBN 354062001X. http://books.google.com/books?id=geYKPFoLgoMC&pg=PA365. 
    28. ^ Mark Lundstrom (2000). Fundamentals of carrier transport. Cambridge University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0521631343. http://books.google.com/books?id=FTdDMtpkSkIC&pg=PA33. 
    29. ^ a b Chin-Lin Chen (2006). "§13.7.3 Pulse envelope in nondispersive media". Foundations for guided-wave optics. Wiley. p. 363. ISBN 0471756873. http://books.google.com/books?id=LxzWPskhns0C&pg=PA363. 
    30. ^ Stefano Longhi, Davide Janner (2008). "Localization and Wannier wave packets in photonic crystals". in Hugo E. Hernández-Figueroa, Michel Zamboni-Rached, Erasmo Recami. Localized Waves. Wiley-Interscience. p. 329. ISBN 0470108851. http://books.google.com/books?id=xxbXgL967PwC&pg=PA329. 
    31. ^ a b c d Albert Messiah (1999). [ Quantum Mechanics (Reprint of two-volume Wiley 1958 ed.). Courier Dover. pp. 50–52. ISBN 9780486409245. http://books.google.com/books?id=mwssSDXzkNcC&pg=PA52&dq=intitle:quantum+inauthor:messiah+%22group+velocity%22+%22center+of+the+wave+packet%22&lr=&as_brr=0&ei=RSlaSq2qPIP-lQSU_dDeAQ[. 
    32. ^ See, for example, Eq. 2(a) in Walter Greiner, D. Allan Bromley (2007). Quantum Mechanics: An introduction (2nd ed.). Springer. pp. 60–61. ISBN 3540674586. http://books.google.com/books?id=7qCMUfwoQcAC&pg=PA61. 
    33. ^ John W. Negele, Henri Orland (1998). Quantum many-particle systems (Reprint in Advanced Book Classics ed.). Westview Press. p. 121. ISBN 0738200522. http://books.google.com/books?id=mx5CfeeEkm0C&pg=PA121. 
    34. ^ Donald D. Fitts (1999). Principles of quantum mechanics: as applied to chemistry and chemical physics. Cambridge University Press. pp. 15 ff. ISBN 0521658411. http://books.google.com/books?id=8t4DiXKIvRgC&pg=PA15. 

    Bibliography

    See also

    Sources

    • Campbell, M. and Greated, C. (1987). The Musician’s Guide to Acoustics. New York: Schirmer Books.
    • French, A.P. (1971). Vibrations and Waves (M.I.T. Introductory physics series). Nelson Thornes. ISBN 0-393-09936-9. OCLC 163810889. 
    • Hall, D. E. (1980), Musical Acoustics: An Introduction, Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, ISBN 0534007589 .
    • Hunt, F. V. (1992) [1966], Origins in Acoustics, New York: Acoustical Society of America Press, http://asa.aip.org/publications.html#pub17 .
    • Ostrovsky, L. A.; Potapov, A. S. (1999), Modulated Waves, Theory and Applications, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 0801858704 .
    • Vassilakis, P.N. (2001). Perceptual and Physical Properties of Amplitude Fluctuation and their Musical Significance. Doctoral Dissertation. University of California, Los Angeles.

    External links


    Velocities of Waves 2006-01-14 Surface waves.jpg
    Phase velocity | Group velocity | Front velocity | Signal velocity

    Translations:

    wave

    Top
    Wave

    Dansk (Danish)
    v. intr. - vinke, vifte, ondulere, bølge, veje
    v. tr. - vinke, bølge, vifte, veje, ondulere
    n. - bølge, sø, vink, vinken, svingen

    idioms:

    • make waves    skabe uro, gøre sig bemærket
    • wave band    bølgeområde
    • wave down    vinke ned
    • wave goodbye    vinke farvel
    • wave power    bølgekraft
    • wave train    bølgetog

    Nederlands (Dutch)
    golven, zwaaien, wuiven, waaien, watergolven, gewuif, golf, watergolf

    Français (French)
    v. intr. - saluer qn de la main, faire signe à qn de faire, gesticuler, onduler (des branches), ondoyer, flotter au vent (un drapeau)
    v. tr. - agiter, brandir, faire un signe de la main, faire au revoir de la main à, (fig) dire adieu à, faire signe d'avancer/de s'éloigner/de passer
    n. - signe (de la main), vague, (fig) vague (de), cran (cheveu), (Phys) onde, ondulation

    idioms:

    • make waves    faire des vagues (vent), (fig) faire du bruit, créer des histoires
    • wave aside    repousser (qch) d'un geste (une suggestion), écarter qn
    • wave band    (Phys, Radio) longueur d'ondes, bande de fréquences
    • wave down    se calmer, redescendre, faire signe de s'arrêter
    • wave goodbye    (lit) faire au revoir de la main à, (fig) dire adieu à
    • wave power    énergie des vagues
    • wave train    train d'ondes

    Deutsch (German)
    v. - winken, schwenken, (sich) wellen, wehen
    n. - Welle, Woge

    idioms:

    • make waves    Wellen schlagen, für Aufregung sorgen
    • wave aside    eine Idee verwerfen
    • wave band    Frequenzband, Wellenband, Wellenband, Wellenbereich
    • wave down    (durch Winken) anhalten
    • wave goodbye    zum Abschied zuwinken
    • wave power    Wellenkraft
    • wave train    Wellenzug

    Ελληνική (Greek)
    v. - κυματίζω, ανεμίζω, κατσαρώνω, χαιρετώ με κίνηση του χεριού, χειρονομώ
    n. - κύμα, κατσάρωμα, οντουλάρισμα (μαλλιών), χαιρετιστήρια χειρονομία, γνέψιμο, κούνημα του χεριού
    abbr. - των κυμάτων

    idioms:

    • make waves    δημιουργώ δυσκολίες ή προβλήματα
    • wave band    (τεχνολ.) ζώνη συχνοτήτων
    • wave down    κάνω σήμα σε (κινούμενο) όχημα να σταματήσει
    • wave goodbye    αποχαιρετώ
    • wave power    κυματική ενέργεια
    • wave train    σειρά κυμάτων με την ίδια κατεύθυνση

    Italiano (Italian)
    far cenni di mano, arricciare, sventolare, ondulare, flutto, ondata, onda

    idioms:

    • make waves    sollevare obbiezioni, creare problemi, far rumore
    • wave band    banda di frequenza
    • wave down    fermare
    • wave power    potenza d'onda
    • wave train    serie d'onde

    Português (Portuguese)
    v. - acenar, flutuar
    n. - onda (f), aceno (m), explosão (f)
    abbr. - membro da reserva americana

    idioms:

    • make waves    fazer ondas
    • wave band    faixa de ondas (f)
    • wave down    acenar com a mão para fazer um veículo (taxi, ônibus, etc.) para parar
    • wave power    energia de ondas
    • wave train    várias ondas uma atrás da outra

    Русский (Russian)
    волна, подъем чего-л., демографический взрыв, волнистость, волновой импульс, колебание, атакующая цепь, развеваться, качаться, волноваться (о ниве и т.п.), виться (о волосах), завивать (волосы), подавать знак рукой

    idioms:

    • make waves    вызывать неприятности, волновать (общество), производить впечатление
    • wave band    диапазон волн
    • wave down    остановить (автомобиль), махая рукой
    • wave power    использование энергии морских волн
    • wave train    волны, перемежающиеся регулярными интервалами

    Español (Spanish)
    v. intr. - ondular, flamear, señalar con un ademán, hacer señales, ondulación
    v. tr. - agitar la mano, saludar con la mano, ondular, blandir, agitarse, hacer señas con, hacer ademán de
    n. - ola, onda, oleada, racha, ondulación, piélago, movimiento de la mano, ademán

    idioms:

    • make waves    hacer olas, levantar polvareda
    • wave aside    echar a un lado, desechar, apartar (con un ademán)
    • wave band    banda de ondas
    • wave down    hacer señales para que pare
    • wave goodbye    despedirse de alguien, hacer adiós con la mano
    • wave power    energía mareomotriz
    • wave train    tren de ondas

    Svenska (Swedish)
    v. - vinka, bölja, vaja
    n. - våg, vågformig, vinkning
    n. pl., - abbr.

    中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
    示意, 波动, 致意, 使波动, 挥舞, 使飘扬, 波, 波浪

    idioms:

    • make waves    捣蛋
    • wave band    波带, 电视波段
    • wave down    挥手示意停下
    • wave goodbye    挥手告别, 打招呼
    • wave power    水波动力
    • wave train    波列

    中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
    v. intr. - 示意, 波動, 致意
    v. tr. - 使波動, 揮舞, 使飄揚
    n. - 波, 波動, 波浪

    idioms:

    • make waves    搗蛋
    • wave band    波帶, 電視波段
    • wave down    揮手示意停下
    • wave goodbye    揮手告別, 打招呼
    • wave power    水波動力
    • wave train    波列

    한국어 (Korean)
    v. intr. - 파도 치다, 흔들리다, 손을 흔들다
    v. tr. - 흔들다, 흔들어 신호하다, 물결 모양으로 하다
    n. - 물결, 흔들림, 웨이브, 고조

    idioms:

    • make waves    풍파를 일으키다
    • wave down    손을 흔들어 (차를) 세우다

    日本語 (Japanese)
    n. - 波, 波のような動き, うねり, 波動, 振ること, 高まり, 変動, 起伏
    v. - 揺れる, 振る, ウエーブさせる, 合図する, 波の形をしている

    idioms:

    • make waves    平穏を乱す
    • tidal wave    津波, 激しい動き
    • wave band    周波帯
    • wave down    手を振って止める
    • wave power    波力
    • wave train    波列

    العربيه (Arabic)
    ‏(فعل) يموج, يتموج, يلوح, يشير من بعيد (الاسم) موجه, تموج, تلويح (الجمع) (اختصار) متجندة في البحريه الأمريكيه‏

    עברית (Hebrew)
    v. intr. - ‮התנועע, התנופף, הסתלסל‬
    v. tr. - ‮נענע, נופף, נפנף, סלסל‬
    n. - ‮גל, נחשול, נפנוף יד, סלסול, סלסול שיער‬


    Best of the Web:

    wave

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    Some good "wave" pages on the web:


    Math
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