Harmonic Motion
Wave Anatomy
Calculating Frequency & Period
Wave Actions
Sound
100
The amount of time needed for one cycle.
What is period?
100
The top of a transverse wave.
What is a crest?
100
The period is this if the frequency is 2 Hz.
What is 0.5 seconds (or one half second)?
100
When a wave's energy dies out in a soft material.
What is absorption?
100
Sound is caused by this type of wave.
What are longitudinal or compression waves?
200
The number of cycles per second.
What is frequency?
200
The distance between a point on a wave and the corresponding point on the next wave.
What is wavelength?
200
The frequency is this if the period is 0.01 seconds.
What is 100 Hz?
200
A wave bouncing off a hard boundary
What is reflection?
200
Changes in pitch are caused by changes in this aspect of a sound wave.
What is frequency (or wavelength)?
300
Two systems at the same point in their cycle are said to be in this.
What is in phase?
300
The widest part of a wave - where the medium experiences the greatest displacement.
What is the antinode?
300
A wave has a speed of 340 m/s and a wavelength of 20 m. This is its frequency.
What is 17 Hz?
300
When a wave bends as it crosses a boundary between media of differing density.
What is refraction?
300
Changes in the loudness of a sound, measured with decibels (dB), correspond to changes in this aspect of sound waves.
What is amplitude?
400
Two systems at opposite points in their cycles are this many degrees out of phase.
What is 180°?
400
A wave in which the medium vibrates parallel to the direction of the wave.
What is a longitudinal wave?
400
A wave has a speed of 100 m/s and a wavelength of 20 m. This is its period.
What is 0.2 seconds (or one fifth of a second)?
400
A wave bending around the corners of a hard boundary:
What is diffraction?
400
This is the accepted value for the speed of sound in air.
What is 340 m/s?
500
Harmonic motion is any repetitive motion caused by a central one of these.
What is a restoring force?
500
The distance from the equilibrium point to a crest or trough.
(Or half the distance from trough to crest)
What is amplitude?
500
A wave has a speed of 340 m/s and a wavelength of 10.2 m. This is its period.
What is 0.03 seconds?
500
When two waves combine to cause a larger wave of greater amplitude.
What is constructive interference?
500
This is the name for frequencies that are multiples of the fundamental or natural frequency.
What are harmonics?