Physics: Energy in Motion & Waves Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering mechanical and electromagnetic waves, wave properties, formulas, optical behaviors, speed calculations, and the Doppler effect based on the lecture summary.

Mechanical Waves

Waves that require a medium (such as air, water, or solids) to move, transferring energy by causing particles to vibrate through contact.

Electromagnetic Waves

Transverse waves that can travel through empty space without a medium, transferring energy through self-propagating electric and magnetic fields.

Wavelength ($\lambda$)

The distance between consecutive crests or troughs in a transverse wave or between areas of compression and expansion in a longitudinal wave.

Amplitude

The height of a wave that determines its energy. Doubling the amplitude ($2^2 = 4$) causes it to carry $4$ times more energy.

Frequency ($f$)

The number of waves passing a point per second. As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.

Wave Speed Formula

$$\text{Wave Speed (m/s)} = \text{Frequency (Hz)} \times \text{Wavelength (m)}$$

Reflection

The wave behavior occurring when waves bounce off a surface, where the angle of reflection from the normal line equals the angle of incidence.

Refraction

The wave behavior occurring when waves pass through a boundary between two mediums, causing them to change speed and bend as they enter the new medium.

Diffraction

The wave behavior that occurs when waves meet an opening in barriers or obstacles in their path, causing the waves to bend and spread out as they move past.

Speed of Sound in Air

The calculated speed of longitudinal sound waves traveling through air, given as $340.14\text{ m/s}$ ($500\text{ m}$ in $1.47\text{ s}$).

Speed of Sound in Steel

The fastest medium for sound wave propagation in the provided calculations, measured at $5000\text{ m/s}$ ($50\text{ m}$ in $0.01\text{ s}$).

Speed of Light in Air

The fastest medium for transverse light wave propagation in the provided calculations, measured at $3.00 \times 10^8\text{ m/s}$ ($8.25 \times 10^8\text{ m}$ in $2.75\text{ s}$).

Speed of Light in Diamond

The slowest medium for transverse light wave propagation in the provided calculations, measured at $1.20 \times 10^8\text{ m/s}$ ($6.00 \times 10^{-9}\text{ m}$ in $5.0 \times 10^{-17}\text{ s}$).

The Doppler Effect

The compression or stretching of waves caused by relative motion between a wave source and an observer, which changes the wavelength and frequency from the observer's perspective.