Waves (OCR Physics A)

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phase difference
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Terms in this set (24)
phase difference
the fraction of a cycle (measured in degrees) between the oscillations of two particles
path difference
the difference in the distances travelled by two waves from coherent sources at a particular point
superposition
when two or more waves meet, the resultant displacement is equal to the sum of the displacements of each wave
interference
when two waves superpose at a point and there is a change in overall displacement
coherence
constant phase difference between waves
displacement
distance moved from equilibrium of a point on a wave
amplitude
maximum displacement
wavelength
the distance between two adjacent peaks and troughs
period
the time taken for one complete oscillation of a particle
frequency
number of wavelengths passing a point per unit time
speed of a wavedistance travelled by the wave per unit timeprogressive wavea transfer of energy as a result of oscillationsstationary wavea wave which stores energy in pocketslongitudinal wavedisplacement of particles is parallel to direction of energy transfertransverse wavedisplacement of particles is perpendicular to direction of energy transferreflectionthe bouncing back of a wave from a circuitrefractionthe change in direction of a wave as it crosses an interface between two materials where its speed changesdiffractionwavefronts spread out after passing through a gap or around an obstacleintensitypower per unit areaplane polarised wavea transverse wave that vibrates in one plane onlyconstructive interferencewhen two waves reinforce to give increased amplitudedestructive interferencewhen two waves cancel to give reduced amplitudenodewhere the amplitude is always zeroantinodewhere the amplitude of the standing wave takes the maximum possible value