6.01 Transverse and longitudinal waves Flashcards
What are oscillations?
Oscillations is going back and forth in a regular rhythm.
What do waves transfer?
Waves transfer energy from one place to another but they don’t transfer any matter.
How do waves travel?
To travel from one place to another, the waves vibrate or oscillate.
What is the displacement of a wave?
How far from the equilibrium point the wave has oscillated on a displacement distance graph.
What is the distance of the wave?
How far the wave has travelled from its starting point on a displacement distance graph.
What is wavelength?
The distance of one entire oscillation on a displacement distance graph. Wavelength is the minimum distance in which a wave repeats itself.
What is the crest?
The very top of the wave.
What is the trough?
The very bottom of the wave.
What is the time period?
The length of one complete oscillation on a displacement time graph. Time period is the time required to produce 1 complete wave. Time taken to complete one vibration. SI unit is sec.
What is frequency?
No. of oscillations per second. SI unit is Hz.
Equation of frequency in terms of time period
f=1/T
Equation of time period in terms of frequency
T=1/f
Wave speed equation in terms of wavelength and frequency.
Wave speed (m/s) = Frequency (Hz) *wavelength (m)
Oscillations in transverse waves
In transverse waves, the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
What kind of waves are electromagnetic waves?
Transverse
Oscillations in longitudinal waves
In longitudinal waves, oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.
What kind of waves are sound and shock waves?
Longitudinal
What is amplitude?
This is the maximum distance a point moves from its rest position when a wave passes.
The wave equation
speed=frequency*wavelength
