Properties of Waves and Motion Practice Flashcards

Flashcards reviewing key wave concepts, calculations, vocabulary, and observations from classroom notes.

What is a wave and what does it transfer?

A wave is a movement or back-and-forth pattern of motion that transfers energy through matter or space, rather than transferring particles of tiny matter.

In what unit is pulse frequency expressed?

Pulse frequency is expressed in beats per second ($\text{beats/s}$).

What are the formulas given for calculating pulse rate ($R$) and pulse frequency ($f$)?

Pulse rate is calculated as $R = \text{number of beats per 15 seconds} \times 4$ (in $\text{beats/min}$), and pulse frequency is $f = \frac{R}{60}$ (in $\text{beats/s}$).

According to the pulse rate lab table, what were the recorded pulse rate ($R$) and pulse frequency ($f$) after $30\,s$ of running in place or jumping jacks?

The recorded pulse rate was $R = 92\,\text{beats/min}$ and the pulse frequency was $f = 1.53\,\text{beats/s}$.

How is kinetic energy defined in the lab notes?

Kinetic energy is defined as the energy of motion.

What four main properties of waves are listed in the focus question summary?

The four main properties of waves are amplitude, wavelength, speed, and frequency.

How is amplitude defined?

Amplitude is the maximum distance a wave vibrates from its rest position, measured as the height of the peaks above the rest line.

How is frequency defined and what is its standard unit of measurement?

Frequency is a rate of something that repeats over and over (the number of waves produced in a given amount of time or vibrations per second), measured in Hertz ($Hz$).

What is the speed of a wave that has a frequency of $5\,Hz$ and a wavelength of $3\,m$?

The wave speed is $15\,m/s$, calculated using the formula $\text{WAVE SPEED} = \text{FREQUENCY} \times \text{WAVELENGTH}$.

What is a compression wave (also called a longitudinal wave)?

A wave in which the movement of the wave's medium is compressed in the same direction as the movement of the wave, traveling in a straight line.

What is a transverse wave?

A wave in which the movement of the wave's medium is perpendicular to the movement of the wave traveling through the medium.

What are the definitions of a wave crest and a wave trough?

A crest is the high point of a wave, and a trough is the low point of a wave.

What is a node on a wave diagram, and how does node spacing relate to wavelength?

A node is where the wave crosses its resting line; the distance from one node to the next is equal to one half of a wavelength.

In the Part B wave graph analysis, if the displacement to a crest is $10\,cm$ and the distance between consecutive nodes is $20\,cm$, what are the amplitude and wavelength?

The amplitude of the wave is $10\,cm$ and the total wavelength is $40\,cm$.

How are reflection and a pulse defined in the vocabulary notes?

Reflection is the bouncing back of waves off an object, and a pulse is a short burst that travels as a wave.