Waves Flashcards
What is wave?
wave is a disturbance in a medium that carries energy without any net
movement of particles.
What are the types of waves?
Waves are mainly of three types: (a) mechanical or elastic waves, (b) electromagnetic
waves and (c) matter waves.
Describe about mechanical waves?
Mechanical waves can be produced or propagated only in
a material medium. These waves are governed by Newton’s laws of motion. For example, waves on water surface, waves on strings, sound waves etc.
What is matter wave?
The matter wave is also called
as de Broglie wave. The matter-wave describes
the relationship between momentum and
wavelength.
Describe the relation between momentum and wavelength.
The wavelength is inversely
proportional to the momentum (mass and
velocity) of the particle. The smaller the
wavelength of the matter wave, the faster the
particle moves. Electrons behave as waves, they
can be used to “illuminate” objects in a
manner similar to light under electron
microscope.
What is oscillations?
A periodic motion of the
particle or the system which can create a wave is known as oscillation. Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic
variation.
What is wave motion?
propagation of disturbances—that is, deviations from a state of rest or equilibrium—from place to place in a regular and organized way. Most familiar are
surface waves on water, but both sound and light travel as wavelike disturbances, and
the motion of all subatomic particles exhibits wave like properties.
What are the characteristics of wave?
Waves are characterized by the following four properties: amplitude, wavelength,
frequency, and speed.
How do we calculate the wavelength of an transverse wave?
In the case of a transverse wave, the distance between the
centres of two nearest crests or between the centres two nearest troughs gives the
wavelength.
How do we calculate the wavelength of a longitudinal wave?
In the case of a longitudinal wave, the distance between the centres of two nearest compressions or between the centres of two nearest rarefactions gives the
wavelength.
What is angular frequency?
It is defined as the rate of change of phase with time.
What is propagation constant?
It is defined as the space rate of change of phase.
What is the differential equation for simple harmonic oscillator?
Lecture slide - 1. Page-9.
What is transverse wave?
When the particles of the medium vibrate at right
angles to the direction of propagation of the wave, the wave is said to be a
transverse wave.
What is Longitudinal wave?
When the particles of the medium vibrates parallel to
the direction of propagation of the wave, the wave is called a longitudinal wave. e.g. sound wave in solids, liquids and gases.
