How do you measure the amplitude of compressional waves?

Answer 1

There are two types of waves: longitudinal and transverse. In a longitudinal wave, the wave moves parallel to the disturbance. In a transverse wave, the wave moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction of disturbance in the medium. For example, in a vibrating string, the string moves up and down, but the pulse travels down the string. The wave moves in a direction perpendicular to the way the string moves. The amplitude of a wave is a measure of its size, or the distance between its peak and trough. It is also a measure of the amount of

energyin a wave. While amplitude is hard to calculate for longitudinal waves, it is a fairly simple task to calculate in transverse waves.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Find the point where the string (or other medium) is farthest from horizontal in one direction.

   • 2

     Measure the distance between that point and the horizontal.

   • 3

     Double that distance. This is the amplitude.