Waves Flashcards
Define waves
Made up of motion repeated at regular intervals.
How to create a wave?
Move up and down / Push and Pull a rop or a Slinky spring.
What is being transferred in a wave?
Waves transfer waves without transferring the medium.
What are the 2 types of waves?
Transverse waves : Waves that travel perpendicular to the direction of the vibration.
Longitudinal waves : Waves that travel parallel to the direction of the vibration.
Define ‘amplitude (A)’
Maximum displacement of a point from its rest position.
SI unit : metre (m)
Define ‘wavelength (λ)’
The shortest distance between any two points in phase.
SI Unit : metre (m)
Define ‘crest’
Highest point of a transverse wave.
Define ‘trough’
The lowest point of a transverse wave.
Requirements for points along a wave to be in phase.
Same direction of motion, same speed and same displacement from their rest position.
What does the displacement-distance graph and displacement-time graph show?
Displacement-distance graph : Displacement of all particles at a particular time.
Displacement-time graph : Displacement of one particle over a time interval.
Define ‘period (T)’
Time taken to produce one complete wave.
SI Unit : second (s)
Define ‘frequency (f)’
Number of complete waves produced per second.
f = 1/T
SI Unit : hertz (Hz)
Define ‘wave speed (v)’
Distance travelled by a wave per second.
v = λ/T OR v = fλ
SI Unit : metre per second (m/s)
Define ‘wavefront’
An imaginary line on a wave that joins all adjacent points that are in phase.
How to produce plane waves and circular waves?
Use a straight dipper to produce plane waves.
Use spherical dipper to produce circular waves.
