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Physics > 4. Oscillations and Waves > Flashcards

4. Oscillations and Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

Displacement (for waves)

A

distance a particle moves in a particular direction from its mean (equilibrium) position

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2
Q

Amplitude

A

maximum displacement from the mean position

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3
Q

Frequency (f)

A

number of oscillations per unit time

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4
Q

Phase Difference

A

difference in phase between two points

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5
Q

Simple Harmonic Motion

A

motion that takes place when the acceleration of an object is proportional to its displacement from its equilibrium position and is always directed toward its equilibrium position

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6
Q

Damping

A

involves a force that is always in the opposite direction to the direction of motion of the oscillating particle (dissipative force)

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7
Q

Critical Damping

A

when a resistive force is applied to an oscillating system that causes the particle to return to zero displacement in a minimum amount of time

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8
Q

Natural Frequency of Vibration

A

when a system is displaced from equilibrium and allowed to oscillate freely, it will do so at its natural frequency of vibration

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9
Q

Forced Oscillations

A

a system may be forced to oscillate at any given frequency by an outside driving force that is applied to it

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10
Q

Resonance

A

a transfer of energy in which a system is subject to an oscillating force that matches the natural frequency of the system resulting in a large amplitude of vibration

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11
Q

Wave Pulse

A

single oscillation or disturbance in a medium

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12
Q

Continuous Progressive (Traveling) Wave

A

series of periodic pulses - involves a transfer of energy

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13
Q

Transverse Wave

A

wave in which the direction of motion of the energy transfer (the wave) is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the particles of the medium

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14
Q

Longitudinal Wave

A

wave in which the direction of motion of the energy transfer (the wave) is parallel to the direction of motion of the particles of the medium

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15
Q

Wavefront

A

collection of neighbouring points on a wave that are in phase

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16
Q

Ray

A

line drawn perpendicular to a wavefront indicating the direction of motion of the energy transfer

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17
Q

Crest

A

top of a transverse wave

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18
Q

Trough

A

bottom of a transverse wave

19
Q

Compression

A

area of high pressure in a longitudinal wave

20
Q

Rarefaction

A

area of low pressure (expansion) in a longitudinal wave

21
Q

Wavelength (λ)

A

shortest distance along the wave between two points in phase with one another (e.g crest to crest or trough to trough)

22
Q

Wave Speed (v)

A

speed of transfer of the energy of the wave

23
Q

Intensity (I)

A

the power received per unit area (proportional to the square of its amplitude)

24
Q

Law of Reflection

A

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection when both angles are measured with respect to the normal line

25
Q

Snell’s Law

A

The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is a constant, for a given frequency

26
Q

Refractive Index (Index of Refraction) (n)

A

a. the ratio of the speed of the wave in the refracted medium to the speed of the wave in the incident medium
b. the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction

27
Q

Diffraction

A

the bending of a wave around an obstacle or the spreading of a wave through an opening

28
Q

Principle of Superposition

A

when two waves meet, the resultant displacement is the vector sum of the displacements of the component waves

29
Q

Constructive Interference

A

superposition of two waves which are in phase with each other

30
Q

Destructive Interference

A

superposition of two waves which are out of phase with each other

31
Q

Path Difference

A

difference in the distances two waves must travel from their sources to a given point

32
Q

Standing (stationary) wave

A

resultant wave formed when two waves of equal amplitude and frequency traveling in opposite directions in the same medium interfere - no energy transfer

33
Q

Node

A

locations of constant complete destructive interference on a standing wave

34
Q

Antinode

A

locations of maximum constructive interference on a standing wave

35
Q

Fundamental (First Harmonic)

A

lowest frequency mode of vibration of a standing wave

36
Q

Doppler Effect

A

the change of frequency of a wave due to the movement of the source or the observer relative to the medium of wave transmission

37
Q

Resolution

A

ability to distinguish between two sources of light

38
Q

Polarised Light

A

light in which the electric field vector vibrates in one plane only

39
Q

Rayleigh Criterion

A

when the central maximum of one diffraction pattern overlaps the first minimum of a second diffraction pattern, the two sources are “just resolved.”

40
Q

Brewster’s Law

A

When light is incident on a surface at such an angle that the reflected and transmitted rays are perpendicular and the reflected ray is totally plane polarised, then the index of refraction of the substance is equal to the tangent of the angle of incidence

41
Q

Polariser

A

device that produces plane polarised light from an unpolarised beam

42
Q

Analyser

A

polariser used to detect polarised light

43
Q

Malus’ Law

A

the transmitted intensity of polarized light is equal to the product of the incident intensity times the square of the cosine of the angle between the direction of the analyzer and the direction of the electric field vibration of the polarized light (I = Io cos2 θ )

44
Q

Optically Active Substance

A

one that rotates the plane of polarisation of the light that passes through it

Physics (7 decks)

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