General Wave Properties Flashcards
Transverse waves…
vibrate in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the wave
Longitudinal waves…
vibrate in a direction that is parallel to the direction of motion of the wave
Wave period =
the time it takes for a wave to vibrate once
Wave frequency =
the number of waves that pass a given point per second
Wave amplitude =
the maximum displacement of a wave, or its height.
Wave wavelength =
distance between crests or troughs
Speed of a wave equation
v = lambda*frequency OR v = lambda/T, where T is the period
Sound is a ____ _____ wave
mechanical longitudinal wave
Doppler effect
the apparent change in pitch due to relative motion between a sound source and a listener
Four ways to affect a wave:
reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference
Reflection definition
the bouncing of a wave off of a barrier
Law of reflection
the angle of incidence of a wave is equal to the angle of reflection of the wave as measured from a line normal (perpendicular) to the barrier. (the wave will bounce off at the same angle at which it came in).
Refraction definition
the bending of a wave due to a change in medium. While the wavelength and speed may change, frequency DOES NOT
Diffraction definition
the bending of wave around a barrier, such as water waves bending around a rock in a stream, or sound waves bending around the corner of a building.
Standing wave definition
a series of nodes and antinodes
