Physics Waves vocab

Pulse

a disturbance in a medium

Wave

A repeated disturbance in a medium

Medium

a substance or material that carries the wave

Amplitude

the maximum amount of displacement of a particle on the medium from ita rest position

Wavelength

the length of one complete wave cycle

Crest

the point on the medium that exhibits the maximum amount of positive or upward displacement from the rest position

Trough

the point on the medium that exhibits the maximum amount of negative or downward displacement from the rest position

Period

the time for a particle on a medium to make one complete vibrational cycle

Frequency

how often the particles of a medium vibrate per second when a wave passes through the medium

Hertz

unit for frequency

Transverse wave

a wave in which the particles of the medium are displaced in a direction parallel to the direction of energy transport

Compression

a point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is traveling that has the maximum density

Rarefaction

a point on a medium through which a longitudinal wave is traveling that has the minimum density

Superposition

When two waves interfere, the resulting displacement of the medium at any location is the algebraic sum of the displacements of the individual waves at that same location

Traveling Wave

wave pattern that is seen traveling through a medium

Standing wave

wave pattern that appears to be standing still caused by superposition of two waqves of same frequency and wavelength

Node

point of no displacement on a standing wave

Antinode

point of maximum displacement on a standing wave

Harmonic frequencies

frequencies that result in standing waves patterns

Resonance

when one object vibrating at the same natural frequency of a second object forces that second object into vibrational motion

Constructive Interference

type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction

Destructive interference

type of interference that occurs at any location along the medium where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the opposite direction

Doppler Effect

the effect produced by a moving source of waves in which there is an apparent upward shift in frequency for the observer and the source are approaching and an apparent downward shift in frequency when the observer and the source receding.

Longitudinal Wave

a wave in which the particles of the medium are displaced in a direction parallel to the direction of energy transport