Reference Tools & Resources
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Chapter 14: Waves and Sound Reference Tools & Resources |
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Reference Tools & Resources
I. Key Terms and Phrases
wave: results from the connection of a series of oscillators.
harmonic waves: waves for which the oscillators move with simple harmonic motion.
transverse waves: waves for which the oscillation is perpendicular to the direction of propagation.
period (for waves): the minimum amount of time it takes for a wave to repeat.
frequency: the number of cycles of a wave's oscillations per unit of time.
wavelength: the minimum repeat length of a wave.
intensity: the amount of energy per unit area per unit time.
intensity level: a measure of a sound's loudness relative to a standard reference.
Doppler effect: the perceived shift in frequency due to relative motion between the source and the observer.
superposition: the addition of two or more waves.
interference pattern: the wave pattern that results from the superposition of two or more waves.
in phase: when the crests and/or troughs of different waves occur at the same time.
opposite phase: when the crests of a wave occur at the same time as the troughs of another wave.
constructive interference: when waves superimpose in phase resulting in a wave of smaller amplitude.
standing wave: a stationary wave resulting from the superposition of two waves traveling in opposite directions.
node: positions on a standing wave that do not oscillate.
anti-node: positions on a standing wave that oscillate with maximum amplitude.
fundamental mode (first harmonic): the longest wavelength standing wave.
beats: the variation in the intensity of a wave that results from the superposition of waves of different frequency.
beat frequency: the frequency of successive intensity maxima of a wave that exhibits beats.
matter waves: the wave-like behavior of particles in accordance with the deBroglie relation.
II. Important Equations
| Name/Topic | Equation | Explanation |
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The speed of a traveling wave. | |
The speed of a wave on a string of tension F and linear density m |
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The functional form for a harmonic traveling wave. | |
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The intensity of a sound from a point source that emits isotropically falls off as the inverse square of the distance from the source. | |
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The intensity level (in decibels) for the loudness of a sound. | |
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The 4 possible relationships between the frequency heard  and the frequency emitted f due to the Doppler effect. |
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The modes and harmonics for standing waves on string with fixed ends and in air columns with both ends open. The possible values of n are 1, 2, 3, ... | |
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The modes and harmonics for standing waves in air columns with only one open end. The possible values of n are 1, 3, 5, ... | |
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The frequency of beats produced by the superposition of two waves. | |
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The wavelength associated with a particle's fundamental wave nature. |
III. Know Your Units
| Quantity | Dimension | SI Unit |
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Reference Tools and Resources by David Reid, Eastern Michigan University, ©2002, Prentice Hall, Inc.
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