Water waves Flashcards
What are water waves?
Transverse
What are undulations and to what direction do they go?
Undulations - up and down movements.
At RIGHT ANGLES they go to the direction that the wave is travelling and the direction of energy transfer
What happens when a water wave hits the surface and what does this cause?
It’ll be reflected and the direction of the wave changes
What waves can be reflected
All waves
Draw the diagram for transverse waves and label it.
Give the meaning as well
Crest - Highest point of the wave
Trough - lowest point of the wave
Displacement - How far a point of a wave is from the middle line
Amplitude - Distance from the middle of a wave to the crest or trough (maximum displacement)
What is superposition?
When 2 waves meet and their displacement meets briefly and then carry on as they were
What happens when two identical crests meet?
Draw the ‘after’ diagram
the height of each wave is added up so crest height doubles
(S) crest + (S) crest = Double
What happens when two identical troughs meet?
Draw the ‘after’ diagram
The depth of each wave is added up and so trough depth doubles.
(S) trough + (S) trough = Double
If a crest and a trough meet what happens?
Draw the ‘after’ diagram
You subtract trough depth and the crest height so crest or trough cancel out leaving flat water surface
Trough depth - crest height = Cancel out
