pulse: a single or separate and short disturbance that
travels along a medium like a wave; also known as a wavel pulse
wave: a continuous, repeating string of pulses that carry
along a disturbance without moving matter from one place to another
wavelength: the distance between crests or between valleys
for a wave
amplitude: the maximum distance from equilibrium that
an individual piece of a wave moves as the wave moves by
wavespeed: the speed with which the wave as a whole moves
frequency: the number of times per second with which a
wave comes by a particular location (this is the same as the frequency
of a simple harmonic oscillator)
period: the time between repetitions of a wave (this is
the same as the period of a simple harmonic oscillator)
transverse wave: a wave in which the motion of individual
pieces that make up the wave is perpendicular to the motion of
the wave itself
longitudinal wave: a wave in which the motion of individual
pieces that make up the wave is along the direction of the motion
of the wave itself
polarization: transverse waves may be plane polarized
so that all the motion of the wave is confined to a plane
superposition: the characteristic of waves that allows
two waves to pass through each other without disturbance. When
two waves are superposed, the resulting amplitude is the sum of
the amplitudes of the two individual waves.
interference: superposition of waves. When two waves
interfer, the resulting amplitude is the sum of the amplitudes
of the two individual waves.
standing waves: the pattern of nodes and antinodes produced
when a wave a particular frequency interfers or superposes with
its reflection
resonance: a pattern or disturbance of large amplitude
which occurs for particular frequencies
nodes: regions in a standing wave where the amplitude
is zero (the distance between nodes is one half wavelength)
antinodes: regions in a standing wave of maximum amplitude
(the distance between antinodes is one half wavelength)
