Pendulums and Waves Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary terms and definitions related to pendulums and waves from the lecture notes.

Pendulum

A small mass hanging from a string, exhibiting simple harmonic motion for small angles.

Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

A type of periodic motion where the restoring force is directly proportional to the displacement.

Frequency (f)

The number of cycles or oscillations completed in a unit of time.

Period (T)

The time taken for one complete cycle of oscillation.

Angular Frequency (ω)

The rate of change of the phase of a sinusoidal waveform, measured in radians per second.

Mechanical Wave

A wave that transports energy through a medium, causing displacement of the medium's particles.

Amplitude (A)

The maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation measured from the position of equilibrium.

Wavelength (λ)

The distance over which the wave's shape repeats, equal to the distance between successive crests.

Wave Speed (v)

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium, calculated by the product of frequency and wavelength.

Kinetic Energy (KE)

The energy of an object due to its motion, calculated as ½mv².

Potential Energy (PE)

The energy stored in an object due to its position in a force field, such as gravitational or elastic potential energy.