Waves Flashcards
Wave:
A succession of pulses.
Rest position:
The equilibrium position of the medium before a pulse/wave is
generated.
Oscillation:
one complete swing or vibration.
Transverse pulse/wave
: a pulse/wave that moves in a direction perpendicular to
the direction of the disturbance in a medium.
Longitudinal pulse/wave:
a pulse/wave that moves in the same direction as the
disturbance in the medium.
Wavelength:
the distance between two consecutive points on the wave that are in
phase.
Amplitude:
the maximum displacement of a particle from its rest (equilibrium)
position.
Period:
the time taken for a wave to pass a point. The symbol for period is T, and its
unit is second (s).
Frequency:
the number of waves passing a point in one second. The symbol for
frequency is f, and its SI unit is hertz (Hz).
Wave speed:
speed: the product of frequency and wavelength of a wave.
Compression:
a point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is traveling
has the particles of the medium closely packed.
Rarefaction:
a point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is traveling has
the particles of the medium spaced apart.
Principle of superposition:
The principle of superposition states that when two
disturbances occupy the same space at the same time the resulting disturbance is
the sum of two disturbances.
The Laws of Reflection
- The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal all lie in the same plane.
- The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Refraction:
the change in direction of a wave when passing from one medium to
another due to the in speed.
