physics chapter 9

Travelling waves

• often when something about the physical world changes, the information about that disturbance gradually moves outward, away from the source in every direction.

• amplitude- the distance from the peaks to the middle of the wave

• wavelength- distance between crests → a full cycle of the wave

• frequency- how many of those cycles pass through a given point every second

  velocity=wavelength x frequency

• pulse wave- one motion following through

• continues wave-moving the rope back and forth

• all waves have one thing in common:

  -They transport energy as they travel

• super position - when two waves combine

  -the resulting wave has an amplitude of 2x at the moment of overlap.

  → the waves then continue in their original direction of motion

• Loose boundaries will reflect waves

• Fixed boundaries will reflect and invert waves