Waves Lecture Notes

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to wave motion for exam review.

Progressive Waves

Waves that transfer energy along the wave.

Wave Equation

The relationship between the speed (v), frequency (f), and wavelength (λ) of a wave is given by the equation v = fλ.

Displacement

The shortest distance of a particle in a wave from its mean position.

Amplitude

The maximum value (magnitude) of displacement in a wave.

Frequency (f)

The number of complete waves passing a reference point per unit of time.

Period (T)

The time taken to complete one wave.

Wavelength (λ)

The distance between two consecutive in-phase particles.

Crest and Trough

Crest refers to the peak of a wave, while trough refers to the lowest point.

Intensity

The energy per unit time per unit area, often dependent on the square of the amplitude.

Transverse Waves

Waves in which the displacement of particles is perpendicular to the direction of wave energy.

Longitudinal Waves

Waves in which the displacement of particles is parallel to the direction of wave energy.

Doppler Effect

The apparent change in frequency of a wave due to the motion of the source relative to an observer.

Polarisation

A phenomenon associated with transverse waves where vibrations are confined to a single plane.

Malus's Law

States that the intensity (I) of transmitted light through a polariser is proportional to the cosine square of the angle (θ) between the light's polarisation direction and the axis of the polariser.

Standing Waves

Waves where there is no energy transfer along the medium.

Cathode-Ray Oscilloscope (CRO)

An instrument used to observe the variation of an electrical signal over time.