P11 Waves Flashcards
What is frequency
The number of oscillations in one second
What is frequency measured in
Hertz (Hz)
What is the crest
the top of the wave
What is the wavelength
The distance between waves (between identical points)
What is the trough
The bottom of the wave
What is the amplitude
The distance from the equilibrium line to the trough or crest
What do waves do
Transfer energy and information without a net movement of material
What are oscillations
Vibrations
What is a period
The time it takes for one oscillation or wave to pass
What are periods measured in
Seconds (s)
What equation links time period and frequncy
T=1/f
Equation linking wavespeed, frequency and wavelength
V=Fλ
What is wavespeed
How fast the wave is moving
What is the measure for wavespeed
M/s
What is wavelength measured in
Metres (m)
What is a transverse wave
The oscillation of the material is in a perpendicular direction
Examples of transverse wave
-Ripples on the surface of the water
-vibrations in a guitar string
-electromagnetic waves
What is a longitudinal wave
The oscillations of the material is in a parallel direction compared to the wave directions
Examples of longitudinal waves
-Sound (ultrasound,infrasound)
-p-wave (primary seismic waves)
What is the speed of light
30x10^8
What do transverse waves travel at
Speed of light
What do longitudinal waves travel at
Speed of sound
What is the speed of sound
343 m/s
What is refraction
When a wave changes direction as it crosses a boundary
Why does refraction happen
The wave changes speed
What happens to energy and frequency during refraction
They don’t change
What is reflection
When the wave is reflected at the boundary between two different materials
