A wave where movement through the medium transfers energy.
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Longitudinal waves
A wave where oscillations of the particles are parallel to the direction of the wave.
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Transverse waves
A wave where the oscillations of the particles are perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
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Equilibrium position
The resting position for particles in a medium.
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Restoring force
A force that tries to return a system to its equilibrium position.
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Compressions
A moving region in which the medium is denser than then surrounding medium.
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Rarefactions
A moving region where the medium is less dense than the surrounding medium.
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Displacement
Distance from the equilibrium position in a particular direction (+/-)
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Amplitude
Max. displacement from the equilibrium position (+/-)
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Wavelength
Min. distance between 2 points in phase on adjacent waves (e.g. 2 peaks).
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Period of oscillation
The time taken for one oscillation or wave to move one whole wavelength past a point.
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Frequency
The number of whole wavelengths passing a point per second.
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Wave speed
The distance travelled by the wave per unit time.
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Phase difference
The difference between the displacements of particles along a wave or on different waves (measured in either radians or degrees).
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Path difference
The difference in the distance travelled by 2 waves from the source to a specific point.
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Antiphase
Particles oscillating completely out of pahse (i.e. +/- displacements).
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Reflection
The change in firection of a wave at the boundary between 2 different media so the wave remains in the same media.
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Law of reflection
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
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Angle of incidence
The angle between the direction of travel of an incident wave and the normal at the boundary of 2 mediums.
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Wavefronts
A line of points in phase with each other in a wave, perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
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Refraction
The change in direction of a wave as it changes speed when it passes from one medium to another.
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Diffraction
A wave spreads out when it passes through a gap or around an obstacle.
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Polarisation
When oscillations of transverse waves are limited to only one plane.
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Plane Polarisation
Description of a transverse wave in which the oscillations are limited to only one plane.
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Intensity
The radiant power passing through a surface area per unit area.
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Electromagnetic waves
Transverse waves with oscillating electric and magnetic field components, don't need a medium and travel at 3x10^8 ms-1 in a vacuum (radio,micro,infrared,visible,UV,x-rays and gamma).
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Refractive index
The ratio of speed of light in material and in a vacuum (n=c/v)
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Total internal reflection
The reflection of all light hitting a boundary back into the original medium when light travels from medium with higher refractive index and the incident angle is greater than the critcal angle.
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Critcal angle
The angle of incidence at the boundary that produces an angle of refraction of 90.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
A wave where oscillations of the particles are parallel to the direction of the wave.
Back
Longitudinal waves
Card 3
Front
A wave where the oscillations of the particles are perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
Back
Card 4
Front
The resting position for particles in a medium.
Back
Card 5
Front
A force that tries to return a system to its equilibrium position.
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