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 pulse/ wave
A pulse/wave that moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the disturbance in a medium
Longitudinal pulse/wave
A pulse/wave that moves in the same direction as the disturbance in the medium
Wavelength
The distance between Two consecutive points in the wave that are in phase
Amplitude
The maximum displacement of a particle from its rest (equilibrium) position
Period
The time taken for a wave to pass a point
Frequency
The number of waves passing a point in one second
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 spaced apart
Principle of Superposition
When two disturbances occupy the same space at the same time the resulting disturbance is the sum of the two disturbances
Photon
A particle without mass, which carries energy and it behaves like both a wave and a particle
Laws of Reflection
- The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal line all lie in the same plane
- The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
Refraction
The change in direction of a wave when passing from one medium to another due to the change in speed
