Properties of waves

• What is the rest position?

  the undisturbed position of particles when they are not vibrating

  
• What is the amplitude ?

  the maximum displacement of a point on a wave away from its undisturbed position

  
• What is the wavelength ?

  the distance from a point on one wave to the equivalent point on the adjacent wave

  
• What is the wavelength symbol?


  λ (lambda)
• How do you measure the wavelength on longitudinal waves?


  You measure the distance between two consecutive compressions or rarefactions.
• What’s the frequency ?

  the number of waves passing a point each second
• What is the peak?


  the highest point above the rest position

  
• What is the trough?


  the lowest point below the rest position

  
• How is the wavelength measured (transverse waves)?

  • peak to peak
  • trough to trough
• What’s the frequency unit?

  Hz (Hertz)
• What’s frequency equivalent to?

  1Hz= 1 wave per second
• How do you calculate the frequency from a diagram?

  count the distance between waves (wavelength)
• What is a period ?


  the time (in seconds) for one wave to pass a point
• What’s the period formula ?

  1/ frequency (Hz)
• What’s the period unit?

  seconds (s)
• What’s the period symbol equation ?

  T= 1/f