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
what factors determine wave speed ?
tension and thickness of rope
what affects wave speed?
frequency and wavelength (cos of formula)
when frequency increase, wavelength decreases
when wave travel through different medium, speed deceases, wavelength decreases, frequency no change.
