Oscillations + Wave Motion Flashcards

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1
Q

Simple Harmonic Motion

A

The motion of a particle about a fixed point such that its acceleration is proportional to its displacement from the fixed point and is always directed towards the point

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2
Q

Angular Frequency (w)

A

The rate of change of phase angle of oscillation, and is equal to the product of 2pi and its frequency

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3
Q

Amplitude

A

The magnitude of the maximum displacement of the particle from its equilibrium position

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4
Q

Period

A

The time taken to complete one oscillation

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5
Q

Free Oscillations

A

If an object is displaced from its equilibrium position and then released it oscillates at its natural frequency about the equilibrium position

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6
Q

Damping

A

The process whereby energy is removed from an oscillating system

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7
Q

Light damping

A

Light damping results in oscillations whereby the amplitude decays exponentially with time. the frequency of oscillation is slightly smaller than the undamped frequency

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8
Q

Heavy damping

A

Heavy damping results in no oscillation and the system takes a long time to return to its equilibrium position

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9
Q

Critical damping

A

Critical damping results in no oscillation and the system returns to its equilibrium position in the shortest time.

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10
Q

Resonance

A

Resonance occurs when a system responds at maximum amplitude to an external driving force. This occurs when the frequency of the driving force is equal to the natural frequency of the driven system

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11
Q

Malus’s Law

A

The intensity of a beam of plane-polarised light after passing through a polariser varies with the square of the cosine of the angle through which the polariser is rotated from the position that gives maximum intensity

I = Io(costheta)^2

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12
Q

Wavelength

A

The distance between two consecutive points which are in phase

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13
Q

Frequency

A

The number of oscillations made per unit time

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14
Q

Progressive wave

A

A wave that transports energy from one point to another in the direction of wave propagation

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15
Q

Transverse wave

A

A wave in which its particles oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

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16
Q

Longitudinal wave

A

A wave in which its particles oscillate in a direction parallel to the direction of energy transfer

17
Q

Wavefront

A

A line or surface joining points on a wave that are in phase. The wave travels in a direction perpendicular to these wavefronts

18
Q

Phase Difference

A

The phase difference between to particles in a wave or between two waves at a point is a measure of the fraction of a cycle which one is ahead of the other

19
Q

Inverse Square Law

A

If the power of the source is constant, then the intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.

20
Q

Phase angle

A

An angle that gives a measure of the fraction of a cycle that has been completed by an oscillating particle or by a wave

21
Q

In phase

A

Particles of a wave are considered in phase when they execute the same motion at the same time

22
Q

Anti phase

A

Particles of a wave are considered to be in antiphase when they execute motions that are out of phase by pi radians or 180 degrees

23
Q

Out of phase

A

Particles of a wave that show different stages of motion. They have non zero phase difference