longitudinal waves Flashcards
What direction do the particles of a longitudinal wave vibrate?
Parallel to the direction of movement of the wave.
What is a compression in a longitudinal wave?
A region of high pressure where the particles are close together.
What is a rarefaction in a longitudinal wave?
A region of low pressure where the particles are far apart.
What happens when your hand moves quickly forward and then back in a longitudinal wave?
It causes a pulse.
Fill in the blank: The section behind the compression in a longitudinal wave is known as a _______.
rarefaction
True or False: Every particle in a longitudinal wave transfers energy to the particles next to it.
True
What does greater energy in a longitudinal wave result in?
Greater displacement of the particles.
What is the effect of a series of consecutive backwards and forwards movements in a longitudinal wave?
A wave is produced.
What occurs when a pulse moves along a spring in a longitudinal wave?
Some spirals are closer together and others are further apart.
What is the relationship between the direction of movement of the wave and the direction of movement of the particles in a longitudinal wave?
Particles move in the same direction as the wave.
What is the period of a wave?
The time taken for one complete cycle of the wave.
What does frequency measure in a wave?
The number of cycles that occur in a unit of time.
Fill in the blank: The _______ of a wave is the maximum displacement of particles from their rest position.
amplitude
What is the speed of a wave defined as?
The distance traveled by a wave per unit of time.
What graphical representation is used to illustrate the cycle of a wave?
A wave graph.
What is a longitudinal wave?
A longitudinal wave is a wave in which particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of wave propagation.
How is the cycle of a particle during wave movement portrayed?
The cycle can be portrayed as the particle moving from its rest position to a maximum displacement in the direction of propagation, then back past its rest position to a negative maximum distance.
What is the amplitude of a longitudinal wave?
The amplitude is the maximum displacement of a particle from its equilibrium position, determined by the pressure in the compression and the separation of particles in the rarefaction.
What is the relationship between frequency and period?
The relationship is given by the formula: frequency (f) = 1/period (T).
What is the wavelength of a wave?
The wavelength is the distance between any two consecutive points that are in phase.
What is the period of a wave?
The period is the time that one wave pulse takes to move past a fixed point.
What is frequency?
Frequency is the number of wave pulses that move past a point per second, measured in Hertz (Hz).
How is the speed of a wave calculated?
The speed of a wave can be calculated using the formula: speed (V) = frequency (f) × wavelength (λ).
