The movement that propagates through a fluid is called a wave.
From the Latin unda , a wave is a movement that expands through a liquid . These are the peaks that are created by impacting the surface of a fluid (by throwing a rock into a lake or putting sugar in tea, for example) or another medium.
Waves are also the curves that occur, either naturally or artificially, in certain objects that have flexibility : "I'm going to go to the hairdresser, since I want a hairstyle with waves" , "What I like most about This dress is its waves .
Different types of waves
An electromagnetic wave consists of the expansion of electromagnetic radiation through space. It should be noted that they do not require a material medium: light waves are part of electromagnetic waves. Microwave ovens , WiFi connectivity and the Bluetooth system are systems that also use electromagnetic waves.
Mechanical waves , on the other hand, are tensional alterations that propagate throughout a material medium. Sound waves and seismic waves are part of mechanical waves.
A gravitational wave is the undulation that occurs in the space-time dimension and is generated by the acceleration of a massive body. This concept arose from the theory of general relativity , although no wave of this type has yet been recorded.
There are different types of waves.
The distance between points
The distance or spatial period between one pulse and another is called wavelength . Generally, its measurement is carried out taking into account two points in a row that present the same phase , such as two maximums, two minimums, or two that cross zero, as long as they go in the same direction.
Two rays of light that travel at the same speed, such as blue and red light, can present differences in the time it takes for their respective electric fields to increase and decrease; This results in different frequencies and wavelengths.
This concept applies to all types of waves, be they water waves in the sea, air pressure or electromagnetic radiation . Furthermore, when taken on a graph, it is easy to understand, since it is no more difficult than measuring the distance between two points arranged on the X and Y axes, for example.
The path of a wave
In some cases, the distance that the particles travel or the medium through which the wave propagates do not correspond to the actual path of said wave, which constitutes its length. Such is the case of sea waves, since their molecules show a vertical movement, while the wave moves horizontally.
To cite some examples very close to us, sound has a wavelength that goes from less than 2 cm to around 17 meters, within the spectrum of tones that the human ear is capable of perceiving; The light with which we illuminate our homes, on the other hand, shows lengths that range between 400 and 700 nanometers, in the case of violet and red light respectively.
The representation of the wavelength in an equation is given by the Greek letter lambda and the official unit of measurement is the meter, and some of its submultiples can be used, such as the millimeter and the nanometer, according to the needs that arise from the magnitudes in question.
a trend
In Argentina , finally, onda can be used as a synonym for fashion or trend .
«Using piercings and getting tattoos is cool among teenagers» y «I want my company to join the ecological wave and start recycling its papers» son expresiones que muestran este uso.