General Properties of Waves

Flashcards covering the general properties of waves, including types, characteristics, and related concepts.

Wave

A disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter.

Periodic Motion

Motion repeated at regular intervals.

Wavefront

An imaginary line joining all adjacent points on a wave that are in the same phase.

Wavelength

The distance between two consecutive wavefronts.

Transverse Wave

Waves that travel perpendicular to the direction of vibration, creating crests (maximum displacement) and troughs (minimum displacement). Example: Light waves.

Longitudinal Wave

Waves that travel parallel to the direction of vibration, creating compressions (particles are closest together) and rarefactions (particles are furthest apart). Example: Sound waves.

Crest

The highest points of a transverse wave.

Trough

The lowest points of a transverse wave.

Amplitude

The maximum magnitude of displacement from the rest position, measured in meters (m).

Wavelength (λ)

The distance between two successive crests or troughs, or the shortest distance between any two points that are in phase, measured in meters (m).

Period (T)

The time taken to produce a complete wave, measured in seconds (s).

Frequency (f)

The number of complete waves produced per second, measured in hertz (Hz). f = 1/T

Wave Speed (v)

The distance travelled by a wave in one second, measured in meters per second (m/s). v = fλ

Compression

Regions of higher pressure in a longitudinal wave where particles are closer together.

Rarefaction

Regions of lower pressure in a longitudinal wave where particles are spread further apart.

Pitch

Related to the frequency of a sound wave; higher frequency means higher pitch.

Loudness

Related to the amplitude of a sound wave; larger amplitude means louder sound.

Echo

The repetition of sound due to the reflection of sound off a surface.

Ultrasound

Sound with frequencies above the upper limit of human hearing (above 20,000 Hz).