Waves Flashcards
What is a wave?
- A wave is a transfer of energy from one place to another due to oscillations.
What is a transverse wave?
- Transverse wave: oscillation of particles is perpendicular to direction of energy transfer.
- particles move up and down*
- Energy transferred from left to right*
What is a longitudinal wave?
- Longitudinal wave: oscillation of particles is parallel to direction of energy transfer.
- particles move left to right and back*
- Energy is transferred from left to right*
What is a mechanical wave?
- Mechanical wave:
A wave that requires a medium (eg. particle’s vibrations) to travel through.
What is the “peak” on a wave?
- Highest point above undisturbed position.
What is the “trough” of the wave?
- Lowest point below undisturbed position.
What is the “amplitude” of a wave?
- Maximum displacement of point from undisturbed position, measured in metres.
What is the “wavelength” of a wave?
- Tranverse: Distance from one point of wave to equivalent point on next, measured in metres.
- Longitudinal: Distance from one compression or rarefaction to another.
What is the area of “compression” in a longitudinal wave
- Where particles are close together.
What is the area of “rarefaction” in a longitudinal wave?
- Where particles are spaced out.
What is displacement on wave?
- Displacement from undisturbed position.
What is distance on wave?
- The distance of the static image of the wave.
Give 4 examples of tranverse waves.
- Electromagnetic wave
- Waves on a rope
- Ripples on water
- S-waves
Give 3 examples of longitudinal waves.
- Waves on slinky (if pushed in direction of energy transfer.)
- Sound
P- waves
What is the undisturbed position?
- Where the particles aren’t moving and have no effects of the wave.
What happens to the particles in waves?
- The matter never moves from one point to the next.
- It is the transfer of energy
What type of wave is light?
- Light is a tranverse wave
What type of wave is sound?
- Sound is a longitudinal wave.