general properties of waves (I) Flashcards
what is a wave?
a wave is a disturbance that propagates through space, transferring energy with it but not matter
what is a wavefront
wavefront is the imaginary line that joins all adjacent points on wave that are moving in step
always perpendicular to direction of wave
what is a vibration/ oscillation?
periodic and repetitive motion of any selected points in a wave.
what are transverse wave?
transverse wave has direction of vibration that is perpendicular to direction of wave travel
example: light wave
what are longitudinal waves?
longitudinal wave has a direction of vibration that is parallel to direction of wave travel
example: sound waves
what is displacement in a wave?
is a vector pointing from its rest position
what is amplitude of wave?
maximum magnitude of displacement from rest position
what are crests and troughs
crests: highest point of transverse wave
troughs: lowest points of transverse wave
what does the term “in phase” mean
describes two points on a wave that always have same direction of motion.
what is waveform
the shape of the S wave
what is a period and its SI unit?/
time taken by each point on the wave to complete one oscillation.
s (seconds)
what is frequency , its SI unit and its formula?
number of oscillations each point on the wave completed per second
Hertz (Hz)
formula: f=1/T
what is wavelength and its SI unit?
shortest distance between 2 successive crests or troughs
metre (m)
what is wave speed(v) , its SI unit, formula
distance travelled by wave per unit time.
metre per second (m/s)
v=f(wavelength)
when does wave frequency remain constant?
wave frequency remains constant in different mediums
