All Flashcards
What is the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves?
Transverse: Displacement is perpendicular to wave direction. Longitudinal: Displacement is parallel to wave direction.
Compare the wave equation as a function of time and as a function of position.
Time: describes the wave's displacement at a given time. Position: describes the wave's displacement at a given position.
Differentiate between frequency and angular frequency.
Frequency (f): Number of cycles per second (Hz). Angular frequency (ω): Rate of change of the wave's phase (rad/s), where ω = 2πf.
Compare and contrast wavelength and period.
Wavelength (λ): Spatial distance of one complete wave cycle. Period (T): Temporal duration of one complete wave cycle.
What is the difference between the general wave equation and the specific equations for periodic waves?
General wave equation: A partial differential equation describing wave displacement in terms of space and time. Specific equations: Use sine or cosine functions to describe simple periodic waves.
What is the effect of increasing the frequency of a wave, while keeping the speed constant?
The wavelength decreases (since v = fλ).
What happens to the wave speed if the medium changes?
The wave speed changes; it depends on the properties of the medium.
What is the effect of doubling the amplitude of a wave?
The energy of the wave quadruples (energy is proportional to the square of the amplitude).
What is the effect of increasing the tension in a string on the speed of a transverse wave?
The speed of the wave increases.
What happens to the frequency of a wave if the source moves towards the observer (Doppler effect)?
The observed frequency increases.
Label the parts of a transverse wave.
1: Crest, 2: Trough, 3: Wavelength, 4: Amplitude
Identify the amplitude (A) and wavelength (λ) on a wave graph.
Amplitude: The vertical distance from the resting position to the crest or trough. Wavelength: The horizontal distance between two consecutive crests or troughs.
On a graph of displacement vs. time for a wave, what does the period represent?
The period (T) is the time it takes for one complete cycle of the wave, measured along the time axis.
On a graph of displacement vs. position for a wave, what does the wavelength represent?
The wavelength (λ) is the distance between two consecutive identical points on the wave (e.g., crest to crest), measured along the position axis.
Given a wave graph, how do you determine the frequency?
- Find the period (T) from the graph. 2. Calculate the frequency using the formula: