Waves EOY notes Flashcards
What are the different types of waves?
Transverse and longitudinal
How do Longitudinal waves travel?
They travel parallel to the vibration
How do transverse waves travel?
They travel perpendicular to the vibration
What are waves?
A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from
one place to another.
It is caused by vibrations.
Elaborate on waves.
The source of a wave is a vibration or an
oscillation.
Waves transfer energy from one point to
another.
Waves transfer energy without transferring
matter.
What are the examples of transverse waves?
light wave,
water wave
What is an example of a longitudinal wave?
Sound waves.
What are crests and troughs?
Crests are the highest points of a transverse wave
Troughs are the lowest points of a transverse wave
What is Displacement?
Displacement is the vertical distance
measured from the rest position.
When are points on waves in phase?
Points along a wave are in phase if they have the same
direction;
speed;
displacement from their rest positions.
What is the wavelength of a wave?
The wavelength λ of a wave is the distance between
two successive crests or troughs.
What is the Period of the wave?
The period T of a wave is the time taken to
produce one complete wave.
SI unit: second (s).
What is the frequency of the wave?
The frequency f of a wave is the number of
complete waves produced per second.
SI unit: hertz (Hz). 1 Hz = 1 wave per second
Formula: f = 1/T
What is wave speed?
Wave speed v is the distance travelled by a
wave per second.
SI unit: m/s
Formulas: v = fλ
v = λ/T
What is a wavefront?
A wavefront is an imaginary line on a wave
that joins all adjacent crests together.
