PHYS 121 LIGHT AND SOUND STUDY GUIDE
Boundary - Answers - a place that limits a waves motion
Standing wave - Answers - a wave that is trapped within boundaries
Harmonic - Answers - a wave that is a multiple of another wave
only when f_n is an integer number of f_1 (fundamental)
Anti-node - Answers - where the amplitude is greatest
Node - Answers - where the wave has no motion
Fundamental - Answers - the first harmonic of a standing wave
Longitudinal Waves - Answers - waves where vibrations and wave motion move in the
same direction (i.e. sound waves in water)
Transverse Waves - Answers - wave where vibrations move perpendicular to the wave
motion
Trajectory - Answers - path along which the object moves
Acceleration - Answers - rate at which velocity changes over time
Amplitude - Answers - max displacement from equilibrium
Constructive Interference - Answers - waves overlap in-phase (crest to crest & trough to
trough); results in greater amplitude wave
Destructive Interference - Answers - waves overlap out of phase (crest to trough);
results in a smaller amplitude wave
Image - Answers - a position in space where all the reflected light appears to diverge
from
Real images - Answers - light passes through the actual image
Virtual images - Answers - formed in locations where light does not actually reach
Intensity - Answers - measure of the energy a wave carries
Sound pressure - Answers - the difference between the actual instantaneous pressure
due to the sound and the atmospheric pressure
Boundary - Answers - a place that limits a waves motion
Standing wave - Answers - a wave that is trapped within boundaries
Harmonic - Answers - a wave that is a multiple of another wave
only when f_n is an integer number of f_1 (fundamental)
Anti-node - Answers - where the amplitude is greatest
Node - Answers - where the wave has no motion
Fundamental - Answers - the first harmonic of a standing wave
Longitudinal Waves - Answers - waves where vibrations and wave motion move in the
same direction (i.e. sound waves in water)
Transverse Waves - Answers - wave where vibrations move perpendicular to the wave
motion
Trajectory - Answers - path along which the object moves
Acceleration - Answers - rate at which velocity changes over time
Amplitude - Answers - max displacement from equilibrium
Constructive Interference - Answers - waves overlap in-phase (crest to crest & trough to
trough); results in greater amplitude wave
Destructive Interference - Answers - waves overlap out of phase (crest to trough);
results in a smaller amplitude wave
Image - Answers - a position in space where all the reflected light appears to diverge
from
Real images - Answers - light passes through the actual image
Virtual images - Answers - formed in locations where light does not actually reach
Intensity - Answers - measure of the energy a wave carries
Sound pressure - Answers - the difference between the actual instantaneous pressure
due to the sound and the atmospheric pressure
