physics: waves vocab #awesome

wave

a propagation (movement) of energy (not mass)

mechanical waves

require a medium to travel through (propagate)

ex: water waves, waves on a spring/string, sound

medium

a material by which energy can pass through

wavelength

the distance a wave travels in one cycle (m)

period

the time it takes for one cycle (seconds)

frequency

the number of cycles per second (Hz)

amplitude

the max displacement from equilibrium of the wave (m)

velocity

wavelength/period (m/s)

wavelength * frequency

transverse waves

the propagation of the wave (direction of velocity) is perpendicular to the vibration of the particles in the medium

longitudinal/compression wave

the propagation of the wave (direction of travel) is parallel/colinear to the motion/vibration of the particles

pulse

a single disturbance or wavelength through a medium

standing/continuous

a steady set of continuous energy/pulses traveling through a medium, sometimes reflecting and resonating

frequency is …

SOURCE dependent (medium independent)

speed is …

medium dependent

wavelength is …

medium dependent

boundary

a change in medium
- 3 things that always happen at a boundary:
wave is reflected, transmitted, or absorbed

reflection

the wave encountering a boundary and reversing direction

rigid boundary

the reflected pulse is inverted relative to equilibrium

non-rigid boundary

the reflected pulse has the same orientation as incident pulse

interference

when waves occupy the same position at the same time

superposition

created when a wave interferes with another wave

maximum construction interference

the amplitude grows during the interference

maximum destructive interference

when the magnitude of the amplitude decreases