Properties of Waves Flashcards
What do waves transfer?
Waves transfer energy and information
What does energy not transfer ?
matter
What are the two types of waves
Transverse
Longitudinal
What is a transverse wave ?
A wave where the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
What is a longitudinal wave?
A wave where the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
Give examples of transverse waves
seismic S waves
light waves
any em wave
Give examples of longitudinal waves
sound waves
seismic p waves
what are the two parts of a transverse wave ?
peaks and troughs
What is meant by amplitude ?
The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position
What is wavelength ?
The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave
Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough
What is meant by frequency of a wave ?
The number of waves that pass a given point each second
what is meant by the period of a wave ?
time taken for a whole wave to completely pass a single point
what is the wavefront ?
the plane in which a wave travels e.g the direction
what are the units for
wave speed
frequency
wavelength
wave speed- m/s
frequency- hz
wavelength- m
what is the equation for wave speed ?
Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength
