Waves Flashcards
Wave
A succession of pulses.
Rest position
The equilibrium position of the medium before a pulse/wave is generated.
Oscillation
One complete swing or vibration.
Transverse wave
A wave that moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the disturbance in a medium.
Longitudinal wave
A wave that moves in the same direction as the disturbance in the medium.
Wavelength
The distance between two consecutive points on the wave that are in phase.
Amplitude
The maximum displacement of a particle from its rest position.
Period
The time taken for a wave to pass a point in one second. The symbol is T, and its unit is second(s).
Frequency
The number of waves passing a point in one second. The symbol is f and its unit is hertz(Hz).
Wave speed
The product of frequency and wavelength of a wave.
Compression
A point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is travelling has the particles of the medium closely packed.
Rarefaction
A point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is travelling has the particles of the medium spaced apart.
Principal of superposition
The principle of superposition states that when two disturbances occupy the same space at the same time the resulting disturbance is the sum of two disturbances.
Photon
A particle without mass, which carries energy and it behaves like both a wave and a particle.
The Laws of Reflection
- The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal all lie in the same plane.
- The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
