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Oscillations and Waves
N/A
45
Physics
11th Grade
12/12/2011

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Term
*Displacement (for waves)
Definition
distance a particle moves in a particular direction from its mean (equilibrium) position
Term
*Ampltitude
Definition
maximum displacement from the mean position
Term
*Frequency (f)
Definition
number of oscillations per unit time
Term
*Period (T)
Definition
time taken for one complete oscillation (cycle) (OR: time taken for one cycle to pass a given point)
Term
*Phase Difference
Definition
difference in phase between two points
Term
*Simple Harmonic Motion
Definition
motion that takes place when the acceleration of an object is proportional to its displacement from its equilibrium position and is always directed toward its equilibrium position (NOTE: this motion is defined by the equation a = -ω2x)
Term
Damping
Definition
involves a force that is always in the opposite direction to the direction of motion of the oscillating particle (NOTE: this force is a dissipative force)
Term
Critical Damping
Definition
when a resistive force is applied to an oscillating system that causes the particle to return to zero displacement in a minimum amount of time
Term
Natural Frequency of Vibration
Definition
when a system is displaced from equilibrium and allowed to oscillate freely, it will do so at its natural frequency of vibration
Term
Forced Oscillations
Definition
a system may be forced to oscillate at any given frequency by an outside driving force that is applied to it
Term
*Resonance
Definition
a transfer of energy in which a system is subject to an oscillating force that matches the natural frequency of the system resulting in a large amplitude of vibration
Term
*Wave Pulse
Definition
single oscillation or disturbance in a medium
Term
*Continuous Progressive Wave
Definition
series of periodic pulses (NOTE: involves a transfer of energy) (NOTE: each point on the wave has the same amplitude)
Term
*Transverse Wave
Definition
wave in which the direction of motion of the energy transfer (the wave) is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the particles of the medium (NOTE: light waves are transverse) (NOTE: transverse waves cannot be propagated in gases)
Term
*Longitudinal Wave
Definition
wave in which the direction of motion of the energy transfer (the wave) is parallel to the direction of motion of the particles of the medium (NOTE: sound waves are longitudinal)
Term
Wavefront
Definition
collection of neighboring points on a wave that are in phase
Term
Ray
Definition
line drawn perpendicular to a wavefront indicating the direction of motion of the energy transfer
Term
Crest
Definition
top of a transverse wave
Term
Trough
Definition
bottom of a transverse wave
Term
Compression
Definition
area of high pressure in a longitudinal wave
Term
Rarefraction
Definition
area of high pressure in a longitudinal wave
Term
*Wavelength(λ)
Definition
shortest distance along the wave between two points in phase with one another (OR: distance traveled by the wave in one period)
Term
*Wave speed (v)
Definition
speed of transfer of the energy of the wave
Term
*Intensity
Definition
power received per unit area (NOTE: for a wave, its intensity is proportional to the square of its amplitude)
Term
Law of Reflection
Definition
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection when both angles are measured with respect to the normal line
Term
*Snell's Law
Definition
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection when both angles are measured with respect to the normal line
Term
*Refractive Index (n)
Definition
a. the ratio of the speed of the wave in the refracted medium to the speed of the wave in the incident medium.
b. the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction
Term
Diffraction
Definition
the bending of a wave around an obstacle or the spreading of a wave through an opening (NOTE: diffraction is only noticeable when the size of the opening is smaller than or on the same order of the size of the wavelength)
Term
*Principle of Superposition
Definition
When two waves meet, the resultant displacement is the vector sum of the displacements of the component waves.
Term
Constructive Interference
Definition
superposition of two waves which are in phase with each other
Term
Destructive Interference
Definition
superposition of two waves which are out of phase with each other
Term
Path Difference
Definition
difference in the distances two waves must travel from their sources to a given point
Term
Standing (stationary) wave
Definition
resultant wave formed when two waves of equal amplitude and frequency traveling in opposite directions in the same medium interfere (NOTE: does not involve a transfer of energy) (NOTE: points on the wave have varying amplitudes)
Term
*Node
Definition
locations of constant complete destructive interference on a standing wave
Term
*Antinode
Definition
locations of maximum constructive interference on a standing wave
Term
Fundamental (First Harmonic)
Definition
lowest frequency mode of vibration of a standing wave
Term
*Doppler Effect
Definition
The change of frequency of a wave due to the movement of the source or the observer relative to the medium of wave transmission.
Term
Resolution
Definition
ability to distinguish between two sources of light
Term
*Rayleigh Criterion
Definition
When the central maximum of one diffraction pattern overlaps the first minimum of a second diffraction pattern, the two sources are “just resolved.”
Term
*Polarized Light
Definition
light in which the electric field vector vibrates in one plane only
Term
*Brewster's Law
Definition
When light is incident on a surface at such an angle that the reflected and transmitted rays are perpendicular and the reflected ray is totally plane polarized, then the index of refraction of the substance is equal to the tangent of the angle of incidence. (n = tan θi)
Term
*Polarizer
Definition
device that produces plane polarized light from an unpolarized beam
Term
*Analyzer
Definition
polarizer used to detect polarized light
Term
Malus' Law
Definition
the transmitted intensity of polarized light is equal to the product of the incident intensity times the square of the cosine of the angle between the direction of the analyzer and the direction of the electric field vibration of the polarized light (I = Io cos2 θ )
Term
Optically Active Substance
Definition
one that rotates the plane of polarization of the light that passes through it (OR: one that changes the plane in which the electric field vector of the light vibrates)
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