Waves and Wave Properties Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is a wave?
A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place without transferring matter.
What causes a wave?
Vibrations of an object disturb surrounding air or medium.
What are the two main types of waves?
Electromagnetic (do not need a medium)
Mechanical (require a medium).
What are the two types of mechanical waves?
Transverse and Longitudinal.
In a transverse wave, how do particles move?
At right angles to the direction of the wave.
In a longitudinal wave, how do particles move?
Back and forth in the same direction as the wave.
What are the parts of a transverse wave?
Crest, trough, amplitude, wavelength.
What does amplitude represent?
The wave’s height from rest position; related to its energy.
What is the unit of frequency?
Hertz (Hz)
What happens to wave speed in different mediums?
faster in solids
slower in gases.
