Properties of Waves Flashcards
What are transverse waves?
Oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
What are longitudinal waves?
The oscillations are in the same direction as the energy transfer.
Give examples of transverse waves
Light and all EM waves
A slinky spring going up and down
Give examples of longitudinal waves
Sound and ultrasound
A slinky spring when you push the end.
Define amplitude
height of wave (from rest to crest)
Define wavefront
a surface over which the phase of the wave is constant
Define frequency
How many complete waves there are per second passing a certain point.
Define wavelength
the distance from one peak to the next
Define the period of the wave
the time it takes in seconds for one complete wave to pass a point
What is the relationship between the speed, frequency and wavelength of a wave
wave speed = frequency x wavelength
v = f x wavelength
what are the properties of EM waves?
- Transverse
- Travel at the same speed through a vacuum (speed of light)
- Red has longest wavelength and lowest frequency
- Violet has shortest wavelength and highest frequency
how does frequency affect pitch
High frequency = high pitch
low frequency = low pitch
How does amplitude affect volume?
High amplitude = high volume
Low amplitude = low volume
whats the doppler effect
The apparent change in wavelength and frequency of a wave emitted by a moving source
v = wave speed in metres per second (m/s) f = frequency in Hertz (Hz) λ = wavelength in metres (m)
what’s the equation for wave speed
wavespeed = frequency x wavelength
