Definitions for Waves

Question 0

Pulse

Answer 0

A pulse is a single disturbance that moves through a medium

Question 1

Medium

Answer 1

A medium is the substance or material in which a pulse will move

Question 2

Transverse pulse

Answer 2

a pulse where all of the particles disturbed by the pulse move perpendicular to the direction in which the pulse is moving

Question 3

Amplitude

Answer 3

the amplitude of a pulse is the maximum disturbance or distance the medium is displaced from it’s rest position (equilibrium)

Question 4

Pulse speed

Answer 4

pulse speed is the distance a pulse travels per unit time

Question 5

Principle of superposition

Answer 5

the principle of superposition states that when two disturbances occupy the same space at the same time, the resulting disturbance is the sum of two disturbances

Question 6

constructive interference

Answer 6

constructive interference is when two pulses meet, resulting in a bigger pulse

Question 7

Destructive interference

Answer 7

is when two pulses meet, resulting in a smaller pulse

Question 8

Wave

Answer 8

a wave is a periodic, continuous disturbance that consists of a train of pulses

Question 9

transverse wave

Answer 9

is a wave where the movement of the particles of the medium is perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the wave

Question 10

Crest & trough

Answer 10

a crest is a point on the wave where the displacement of the medium is at a maximum. A point on the wave is a trough if the displacement of the medium at that point is at a medium.

Question 11

Wavelength

Answer 11

is the distance between any two consecutive points that are in phase

Question 12

Period

Answer 12

is the time taken to complete one wave

Question 13

Frequency

Answer 13

the number of waves that pass a given point in 1 second

Question 14

wave speed

Answer 14

is the distance a wave travels per unit time

Question 15

Longitudinal waves

Answer 15

is a wave where the particles in the medium move parallel to the direction of propagation of the wave

Question 16

Compression

Answer 16

is a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are closest

Question 17

Rarefraction

Answer 17

is a region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are furthest apart

Question 18

Law of reflection

Answer 18

the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, and the incident ray, reflected ray, and the normal, all lie in the same plane

Question 19

Refraction

Answer 19

is the charge in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another caused by its change in speed

Question 20

Refractive index

Answer 20

refractive index of a material is the ratio of light in a vacuum to its speed in the material

Question 21

Optical density

Answer 21

is a measure of the refracting power of a medium

Question 22

Normal

Answer 22

The normal to a surface is the line which is perpendicular to the plane of the surface

Question 23

angle of incidence

Answer 23

is the angle between the normal to a surface and the incident light ray

Question 24

angle of refraction

Answer 24

is the angle between the normal to the surface and the refracted light ray

Question 25

Critical angle

Answer 25

is the anglr of incidence where the angle of refraction is 90º

Question 26

Loudness

Answer 26

amplitude

Question 27

pitch

Answer 27

frequency