Essential Wave Phenomena Definitions and Concepts

Essential Wave Phenomena Definitions

Wave Terminology

• Node: A point of zero amplitude on a standing wave.
• Resonance: The increase in the amplitude of a vibration that occurs when external vibrations match an object's natural frequency.
• Antinode: A point of maximum amplitude on a standing wave.
• Standing Wave: A wave that appears to stand in one place, even though it is really two waves interfering as they pass through each other.
• Reflection: The bouncing back of an object or a wave when it hits a surface through which it cannot pass.
• Hertz (Hz): Unit of measurement for frequency.
• Frequency: The number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time.
• Wavelength: The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave.
• Amplitude: The maximum distance the particles of a medium move away from their rest positions as a wave passes through the medium.
• Destructive Interference: The interference that occurs when two waves combine to make a wave with a smaller amplitude.
• Constructive Interference: The interference that occurs when waves combine to make a wave with a larger amplitude.
• Interference: The interaction between waves that meet.
• Diffraction: The bending of a wave as it moves around a barrier or passes through an opening.
• Angle of Incidence: The angle between the incoming wave and the normal.
• Angle of Reflection: The angle between the reflected wave and the normal line.

Wave Behavior Questions and Answers

What is the Law of Reflection?

The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

What causes refraction?

When a wave enters a new medium at an angle, one side of the wave changes speed before the other side, causing the wave to bend.

What causes a standing wave?

If the incoming wave and a reflected wave have just the right frequency, they produce a combined wave that appears to be standing still.

What happens when waves hit a surface?

When an object or a wave hits a surface through which it cannot pass, it bounces back (reflection).

How do waves bend?

When a wave moves around a barrier or through an opening in a barrier, it bends and spreads out (diffraction).

How do waves interact with each other?

Two waves can overlap when they meet. Interference is the interaction between waves that meet. There are two types of interference: constructive and destructive.

How are the speed, wavelength, and frequency of a wave related?

They are related to one another by a mathematical formula.

What part of the longitudinal wave is similar to the crest of a transverse wave?

The compressions of a longitudinal wave correspond to the crest of a transverse wave.

What are the basic properties of waves?

The basic properties are amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and speed.