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Physics > Oscillations and Waves > Flashcards

Oscillations and Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

Displacement

A

*
Distance a particle moves in a particular direction from its mean (equilibrium) position

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2
Q

Amplitude

A

*
Maximum displacement from the mean position

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3
Q

Frequency

A

*
(f)
Number of oscillations per unit time

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4
Q

Period

A

*
(T)
Time taken for one complete oscillation (cycle)

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5
Q

Phase difference

A

*
Difference in phase between two points

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6
Q

Simple Harmonic Motion

A

*
Motion that takes place when the acceleration of an object is proportional to its displacement from its equilibrium position and is always directed toward its equilibrium position
a=-w^2x

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7
Q

Damping

A

Involves a force that is always in the opposite direction to the direction of motion of the oscillating particle
Note: this force is a dissipative force

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8
Q

Critical Damping

A

When a resistive force is applied to an oscillating system that causes the particle to return to zero displacement in a min amount of time

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9
Q

Natural Frequency of Vibration

A

When a system is displaced from equilibrium and allowed to oscillate freely, it will do so at its natural frequency of vibration

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10
Q

Resonance

A

*
A transfer of energy in which a system is subject to an oscillating force that matches the natural frequency of the system resulting in a large amplitude of vibration

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11
Q

Forced Oscillations

A

A system may be forced to oscillate at any given frequency by an outside driving force that is applied to it

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12
Q

Wave Pulse

A

*
Single oscillation or disturbance in a medium

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13
Q

Continuos Progressive (Traveling) Wave

A

*
A series of periodic pulses
Note:
Involves a transfer of energy, each point on the wave has the same amplitude

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14
Q

Transverse wave

A

*
Wave in which the direction of motion of the energy transfer (wave) is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the particles of the medium
Note:
Light waves are transverse. Transverse waves cannot be propagated in gases

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15
Q

Longitudinal wave

A

*
Wave in which the direction of motion of the energy transfer (wave) is parallel to the direction of motion of the particles of the medium
Note: Sound waves are longitudinal

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16
Q

Wavefront

A

Collection of neighbouring points on a wave that are in phase

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17
Q

Ray

A

Line drawn perpendicular to a wavefront indicating the direction of motion of the energy transfer

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18
Q

Crest

A

Top of a transverse wave

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18
Q

Trough

A

Bottom of a transverse wave

19
Q

Compression

A

Area of high pressure in a longitudinal wave

20
Q

Rarefraction

A

Area of low pressure (expansion) in a longitudinal wave

21
Q

Wavelength

A

*
Shortest distance along the wave between two points in phase with one another OR
distance traveled by wave in one period

22
Q

Wave speed

A

*
v
Speed of transfer of the energy of the wave

23
Q

Intensity

A

*
(I)
Power received per unit area
Note: For a wave, its intensity is proportional to the square of its amplitude

23
Q

Law of Reflection

A

Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection when both angles are measured with respect to the normal line

24
Q

Snell’s Law

A

*
Ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is a constant, for a given frequency

25
Q

Refractive Index

A

*
(n)
a) ratio of the speed of the wave in the refracted medium to the speed of the wave in the incident medium
b) Ratio of the sine angle of incidence to the sine angle of refraction

26
Q

Diffraction

A

Bending of a wave around an obstacle or spreading of a wave through an opening
Note: Diffraction is only noticeable when the size of the opening is smaller than or the same order of the size of the wavelength

27
Q

Principle of Superposition

A

*
When two waves meet, the resultant displacement is the vector sum of the displacements of the component waves

28
Q

Constructive interference

A

Superposition of two waves which are in face with each other

29
Q

Destructive interference

A

Superposition of two waves which are out of phase with each other

30
Q

Path difference

A

Difference in the distances two waves must travel from their sources to a given point

31
Q

Node

A

*
Locations of constant complete destructive interference on a standing wave

31
Q

Fundamental (first harmonic)

A

Lowest frequency mode of vibration of a standing wave

32
Q

Standing (Stationary) wave

A

*
Resultant wave formed when two waves of equal amplitude and frequency traveling in opposite directions in the same medium interfere
Note: Does not involve a transfer of energy, points on wave have varying amplitudes

33
Q

Antinode

A

*
Locations of maximum constructive interference on a standing wave

33
Q

Doppler Effect

A

*
Change of frequency of a wave due to the movement of the source or the observer relative to the medium of wave transmission

34
Q

Resolution

A

Ability to distinguish between two sources of light

35
Q

Rayleigh Criterion

A

*
When the central maximum of one diffraction pattern overlaps the first minimum of a second diffraction pattern, the two sources are “just resolved”

36
Q

Polarized light

A

*
Light in which the electric field vector vibrates in one plane only

37
Q

Brewster’s Law

A

*
When light is incident on a surface at such an angle that the reflected and transmitted rays are perpendicular and the reflected ray is totally plane polarized, then the index of refraction of the substance is equal to the tangent of the angle of incidence (n=tan angle)

38
Q

Analyzer

A

*
Polarizer used to detect polarized light

39
Q

Polarizer

A

device that produces plane polarized light from an unpolarized beam

40
Q

Malu’s Law

A

The transmitted intensity of polarized light is equal to the product of the incident intensity times the square of the cosine of the angle between the direction of the analyzer and the direction of the electric field vibration of the polarized light (I=Iocos^2angle)

41
Q

Optically Active Substance

A

One that rotates the plane of polarization of the light that passes through it OR one that changes the plane in which the electric field vector of the light vibrates

Physics (8 decks)

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