2 - Travelling Waves Flashcards
What is a travelling wave?
Travelling wave = An organized disturbance that propagates through a medium from one location to another.
What is a wave source?
The disturbance that creates a wave
What is the wave speed determined by?
the medium it is travelling through
Whats is a mechanical wave?
Mechanical wave = A wave that propagates through a material medium.
What is a transverse wave?
Transverse wave = A wave in which the displacement of the medium is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave.
What is a longitudinal wave?
Longitudinal wave = A wave in which the displacement of the medium is parallel to the direction of propagation of the wave.
What is the medium? Does it move?
The material medium is the physical substance that the mechanical wave travels through.
The medium itself does not move, it is only being disturbed.
What is created when a medium is momentarily disturbed?
a wave pulse
What is a snapshot graph?
Snapshot graph = a graph that shows the displacement of an entire medium at a fixed time.
What is a history graph?
History graph = a graph that shows the displacement of a single particle at a fixed position.
What can be determined from a snapshot graph?
wavelength
What can be determined from a history graph?
period
How do you find the maximum speed of an individual particle?
same as for SHM:
- maximum velocity at zero displacement (x=0)
- zero velocity at turning point (x=+/-A)
What type of waves are sound waves?
longitudinal mechanical waves
When will there be a compression or rarefaction in the medium of a longitudinal sound wave?
compression (particles get closer) - maximum pressure
rarefaction (particles spread apart) - minimum pressure
