Chapter 25 Study Guide - Waves and Sound Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental wave concepts, wave behaviors, interference patterns, and motion-related wave phenomena from Chapter 25.

Period

The time of a back-and-forth swing of the pendulum

Simple harmonic motion

The back and forth motion of a pendulum

Sine curve

The pictorial representation of a wave

Crests

The peak of the wave

Trough

The low point of the wave

Amplitude

The distance between the midpoint and the crest/trough

Wavelength

The distance between the crests, or two identical points

Frequency

The amount of vibrations in a set amount of time

Interference pattern

A regular arrangement of places where wave effects are increased, decreased, or neutralized

Constructive interference

The crest of one wave overlaps the crest of another and their individual effects add together

Destructive interference

The crest of one wave overlaps the trough of another and their individual effects are reduced

Out of phase

The crests of one wave overlap the trough of another and produce regions of zero amplitude

In phase

The crests of one wave overlap the crest of the other, and the troughs overlap as well

Transverse wave

Travel perpendicular to a wave

Longitudinal wave

Travel along or parallel to one

Standing wave

Is a wave that appears to stay in one place-it does not seem to move through the medium

Nodes

Points on a standing wave that don't seem to move

Antinodes

The positions on a standing wave with the largest amplitudes

Doppler effect

This apparent change in frequency due to the motion of the source

Blue shift

An increase in frequency

Red shift

A decrease in frequency

Bow wave

The crests overlap at the edges, and the pattern made by these overlapping crests is a V-shape

Shock wave

Is a three-dimensional wave that consists of overlapping spheres that form a cone

Sonic boom

The sharp crack heard when the shock wave that sweeps behind a supersonic aircraft reaches the listeners