properties of mechanical waves Flashcards
what is amplitude
the maximum displacement of a point from its equilibrium position
what is a wave cycle
the shortest possible section of a wave pattern which can be copied to produce a full wave pattern
what is a wavelength
the length of a wave cycle from peak to peak or trough to trough
what is frequency
the number of wave cycles that pass a point each second
what is the unit of frequency
Hz
equation for frequency
total number of wave cycles/total number of seconds
what is the time period
how long it takes for one wave cycle to pass a point
what is the equation for time period
1/frequency
what is the equation for wave speed
wave speed = frequency x wavelength
c = f x y
what is the unit for wave speed
ms^-1
the higher the amplitude..
the higher energy transferred per second
for a given amplitude and wave speed, increasing the number of wave cycles that pass a given point each second will cause the amount of energy transferred each second to…
increase
how to find wavelength in longitudinal waves
compression to compression
what the equilibrium position in a longitudinal wave
the maximum displacement of a point from its mean position
A pressure-distance graph tells
where the rarefactions and compressions are in a longitudinal wave at a single moment in time.
