Topic 7-Describing Waves Flashcards
What’s amplitude?
The amplitude of a wave is a measure of the energy carried by he wave. Amplitude is measured from the undistured (normal) position to the top of a crest, or bottom of a trough. Loud sounds will have higher amplitudes than quiet sounds
How do we describe waves?
Waves are described in terms of their waves length, frequency, speed and amplitude. The diagram shows these quantities on a transverse was like a water wave, or light, where the direction of vibration of the wave is at right angles to the direction of the wave
What’s wave length?
The wavelength of a wave us the distance that the wave takes to repeat itself-this is normally measured from one crest to the next crest. Wavelength is measured in metres
What’s frequency?
The frequency of a wave is the number of waves that pass a point on one second. Frequency is measured in hertz (one wave per second)
What is speed?
The speed of a wave is the distance that a wave travels on one second. Waves are measured in metres per second
How do we measure speed?
Wave speed = distance
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Time
