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 on the wave that are in phase.
Amplitude
The maximum displacement of a particle from it’s rest (equilibrium) position
Period
The time taken for a wave to pass a point.The symbol for period is T, and its unit is seconds (s)
Frequency
The number of waves passing a point in one second. They symbol for frequency is f, and its SI is in 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.
Principle 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 the two disturbances.
