Working with waves Flashcards
What are progressive waves?
Waves that transfer energy from one. place to another without transferring matter
What are the key characteristics of progressive waves?
Amplitude
Wavelength
Frequency
Speed
What are longitudinal waves?
where the particles oscillate parallel to the direction of the wave travel (and energy transfer)
Sound waves
What are transverse waves?
where the particles oscillate perpendicular to the direction of the wave travel (and energy transfer)
Light waves
What is the wave equation?
Speed= frequency x wavelength
What is wave speed?
The speed at which a wave propagates through a medium
What is phase difference?
The difference in phase between two points on a wave measured in degrees or radians
What is the difference between In-phase and out-of-phase
Points in-phase are multiples of 360 degrees
Out-of-phase points differ by 180 degrees
What is the key difference between Longitudinal and transverse waves?
Particle movement direction
Longitudinal waves require a medium
Transverse waves can travel in a vacuum
What are stationary waves?
Waves that appear to stand still
Formed by two waves of the same frequency travelling in opposite directions
What are Nodes?
Nodes are points of no displacement
What are antinodes?
Points of maximum displacement
What is the fundamental frequency?
The lowest frequency at which a stationary wave can form
What are harmonics?
Higher frequencies at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency
What are applications?
Used in musical instruments
Resonance phenomena
What is the resonance of application of stationary waves?
Enhances amplitude at specific frequencies in systems
Tuning fork
Bridges
What is the communication of application of a stationary wave?
Used in waveguides and antennas to transmit signals efficiency
What is constructive interference?
When two waves meet up in phase
Amplitudes add up
What is destructive interference?
When two waves meet outside of phase
They cancel each other out
What is Youngs double-slit experiment?
Demonstrates wave interference using light
Producing an interference pattern of bright and dark fringes
What is diffraction?
The bending of waves around obstacles or through narrow openings
What are the factors of diffraction?
More pronounced when opening site is close to the wavelength
How is diffraction applied?
Essential in sound and radio waves
They bend around corners
What is diffraction gratings?
A tool with multiple slits to disperse light into its spectrum
What is the equation for diffraction gratings?
Slit separation SIN(angle)= order x wavelength
What is spectroscopy?
Allows precise measurements of light wavelengths
Used in chemical analysis
What is astronomy?
Used in telescopes to analyse light from distant stars and galaxies
What are optical devises?
Employed in lasers and various sensors for precise measurements
