5.1 What’s in a wave? Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering wave types, properties, calculations, and essential definitions from the lecture notes.

Travelling transverse wave

A wave in which the medium oscillates at ninety degrees to the direction of energy transfer by wave propagation.

Travelling longitudinal wave

A wave in which the medium oscillates in the direction of energy transfer by wave propagation.

Wavelength ($\lambda$)

The distance between consecutive corresponding points of a wave, such as from crest to crest, measured in meters ($m$).

Frequency ($f$)

The number of wave cycles per second, measured in Hertz ($Hz$).

Velocity ($v$)

The speed at which a wave travels, measured in $m\,s^{-1}$.

Wave equation

$$v = f\lambda$$

Crests

The highest points of a transverse wave.

Troughs

The lowest points of a transverse wave.

Amplitude

The maximum distance from the rest position to a crest or trough.

Velocity of electromagnetic waves ($c$)

The speed at which all electromagnetic waves travel in a vacuum, equal to $3 \times 10^8\,m\,s^{-1}$.

Compression

A region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are pushed together.

Rarefaction

A region in a longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart.

Mechanical waves vs. Electromagnetic waves

A key distinction in wave motion types; electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum at $3 \times 10^8\,m\,s^{-1}$ while mechanical waves require a medium.