Wave Motion Flashcards
What is a wave?
A wave is a propagation of a disturbance which transfer energy from one point to another without the physical transfer of matter.
Define Progressive Wave.
A progressive wave is one which results in a net transfer of energy from one place to another.
Define Mechanical waves.
Mechanical waves require a material medium for their propagation.
What are Electromagnetic Waves?
It consist of mutually perpendicular time-varying electric and magnetic fields, that travels through vacuum at a speed of 3.0x10^8 m/s.
What is a transverse wave?
A transverse wave is a wave in which the oscillations of the particles are perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation or energy transfer.
What is a longitudinal wave?
It is a wave in which the oscillation of its particle is parallel to the direction of wave propagation or energy transfer.
What is a wavefront?
Wavefront is an imaginary line joining all the points of the wave that have the same phase.
What does the phase of a particle refer to?
It refers to the stage of an oscillation the particle is in at a particular instant. It is the fraction of the cycle that have been completed by the oscillating particle.
Define intensity.
The intensity of a wave is the rate of flow of energy per unit area perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
What is a spherical wave?
It is when the wave produced by a point source travels uniformly outwards in all direction and is known as a spherical wave.
Define Polarisation.
Polarisation is a process whereby the oscillation of the particles in a transverse wave is restricted to a single direction, in the plane normal to the direction of wave propagation. It is a property only exhibited by transverse wave.
