Waves Review Notes

These flashcards include key terms and definitions related to waves, energy, interference, and related physics concepts.

Tension (T)

The force applied along the length of a wave.

Wavelength (L)

The distance between successive crests or troughs of a wave.

Kinetic Energy (KE)

The energy of an object due to its motion.

Potential Energy (PE)

The energy stored in an object due to its position in a force field.

Frequency (f)

The number of oscillations that occur in a specified period.

Constructive Interference

When two waves combine to produce a wave with a larger amplitude.

Amplitude (A)

The maximum displacement of points on a wave from its rest position.

Period (T)

The time taken for one complete cycle of a wave to pass a given point.

Spring Constant (k)

A measure of the stiffness of a spring, defined as the force needed to extend or compress it per unit distance.

Doubling the Displacement (x)

Results in quadrupling the Potential Energy stored in a spring.

Restoring Force (F)

The force that gives rise to the restoring motion of a wave.

Velocity (v)

The speed of the wave, defined as the product of frequency (f) and wavelength (λ).

Doppler Effect

A change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer who is moving relative to the wave source.

Node

A point along a standing wave where the wave has minimum amplitude.

Antinode

A point where the amplitude of the wave is at a maximum.