physics - waves

What is a mechanical wave?

A wave that transfers energy through a medium (like air, water, or solids) without moving the medium itself.

What is a transverse wave?

A wave where particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction the wave travels (e.g. light waves, water waves).

What is a longitudinal wave?

A wave where particles move parallel to the direction the wave travels (e.g. sound waves, a compressed slinky).

What is a wave pulse?

A single disturbance that moves through a medium without repeating.

What is a periodic wave?

A wave that repeats in a regular cycle, caused by continuous vibration.

What is amplitude?

The maximum displacement from the rest position; relates to the energy or loudness of the wave.

What is wavelength (λ)?

The distance between two identical points on a wave (like crest to crest or compression to compression).

What is frequency (f)?

The number of full wave cycles that pass a point per second; measured in hertz (Hz).

What is period (T)?

The time it takes for one full wave cycle to pass; measured in seconds.

What type of wave is sound?

Sound is a longitudinal mechanical wave that travels through compressions and rarefactions in a medium.

What does the amplitude of a sound wave represent?

The loudness or intensity of the sound.

What does the frequency of a sound wave represent?

The pitch — higher frequency means a higher pitch.

What happens to sound speed in different mediums?

Sound travels faster in solids, slower in liquids, and slowest in gases because particles are closer together in solids.

How does temperature affect the speed of sound?

Higher temperature

How does density affect the speed of sound?

In general, higher density can slow down sound in gases, but in solids the elasticity matters more than density.

What is a standing wave?

A wave pattern formed when two identical waves travel in opposite directions and interfere, creating stationary nodes and antinodes.

What is a node?

A point on a standing wave with no motion, caused by destructive interference.

What is an antinode?

A point of maximum displacement on a standing wave, caused by constructive interference.

What does the harmonic number (n) represent?

The number of half-wavelengths that fit in the length of the medium.