waves intro Flashcards
top of wave
crest
bottom of wave
trough
time period
time taken for one wave length to pass
amplitude
maximum displacement from equilibrium
frequency
amount of waves passing per second - Hz
time period = 1/ frequency
.
wavespeed = wavelength x frequency
.
waves transfer energy without
transferring matter via oscillations
there is zero
net movement of matter
Mechanical wave
needs a medium - substance oscillaties. eg sound wave, water wave, seismic wave
EM wave
doesn’t need a medium - oscillations of electric or magnetic fields.
interactions between EM waves and matter
slow the wave down like light and water - causes refraction
wavelength
minimum distance between 2 points in phase on adjacent waves
wave speed
distance travelled by the wave per unit of time
phase
proportion of a wave cycle at a given point. measured in degrees
