Wave Propagation and Reflection

Flashcards based on key concepts from Wave Propagation and Reflection lecture notes.

Normal Incidence

The angle at which a wave hits a boundary head-on, resulting in predictable reflection and transmission behaviors.

Oblique Incidence

The angle at which a wave strikes a boundary at any angle other than 90 degrees, which can lead to complex reflection and transmission patterns.

Reflection Coefficient (Γ)

A measure of how much of a wave is reflected back at a boundary, defined as the ratio of the reflected wave amplitude to the incident wave amplitude.

Transmission Coefficient (T)

A measure of how much of a wave passes through a boundary, defined as the ratio of the transmitted wave amplitude to the incident wave amplitude.

Power Transfer

The process by which the energy carried by a wave is distributed between reflected and transmitted waves at the boundary.

Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)

A measure of the efficiency of power transmission, defined as the ratio of the maximum to minimum amplitudes of a standing wave.

Wavefront

An imaginary surface representing points of a wave that oscillate in phase; it illustrates the propagation direction of the wave.

Lossy Medium

A medium that dissipates energy, resulting in attenuation of wave amplitude as the wave travels through.

Lossless Medium

A medium that does not dissipate energy, preserving the wave amplitude as it propagates.

Boundary Conditions

Conditions that must be satisfied at the interface between two media affecting wave behavior, such as continuity of the electric and magnetic fields.