Waves Flashcards
Number of oscillations per unit time
Frequency
Maximum displacement from equilibrium position
Amplitude
Time taken for one complete oscillation
Period
Angle to describe of different stages of oscillatory cycle
Phase difference
Restoring force is proportional to displacement and directed towards equilibrium
SHM
Gradual loss of energy of an oscillator due to resistance forces
Damping
Increase of amplitude when forced to oscillate at natural frequency
Resonance
Wave for which points along the wave is at 90 degrees to direction of energy propagation
Transverse
Displacement is parallel to energy propagation
Longitudinal
A way of transferring energy and momentum
Wave
Can travel in vacuum
Electromagnetic waves
A wave is associated with a … And travels in a medium (can be vacuum)
Disturbance
Speed of .. Determined by properties of the medium (tension and mass per unit length) and not how the wave is created.
Wave pulse
Created if one pulse after another is created
Travelling wave
Wave moves forward a distance equal to
Wavelength
Surface through crests and normal to the direction of propagation of the wave
Wavefront
Lines in the direction of propagation of the wave
Rays
Rays are radial lines on … Wavefronts
Cylindrical
The displacement at a point is the algebraic sum of the individual displacements
Superposition
Pulse changes in direction and is inverted when
Reflected
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of…
Reflection
Relates the sines of the angles of incidence and refraction to the speed of the wave in the two media
Snells law
Applicable to light only, n1sinx1=n2sinx2
Index of refraction
Angles of the same angles of incidence but different wavelengths are refracted by different angles
Dispersion