Frequency - Key terms



AMPLITUDE:

For an object oscillation, amplitude is the value of the object's maximum displacement from a position of stable equilibrium during a single period. In a transverse wave, amplitude is the distance from either the crest or the trough to the average position between them. For a sound wave, the best-known example of a longitudinal wave, amplitude is the maximum value of the pressure change betweenwaves.

CYCLE:

In oscillation, a cycle occurs when the oscillating particle moves from a certain point in a certain direction, then switches direction and moves back to the original point. Typically, this is from the position of stable equilibrium to maximum displacement and back again to the stable equilibrium position.

FREQUENCY:

For a particle experiencing oscillation, frequency is the number of cycles that take place during one second. In wave motion, frequency is the number of waves passing through a given point during the interval of one second. In eithercase, frequency is measured in Hertz. Period ( T ) is the mathematical inverse offrequency ( f ) hence f =1/ T.

HARMONIC MOTION:

The repeated movement of a particle about a position of equilibrium, or balance.

HERTZ:

A unit for measuring frequency, named after nineteenth-century German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1857-1894). Higher frequencies are expressed in terms of kilohertz (kHz; 10 3 or 1,000 cycles per second); megahertz (MHz; 10 6 or 1 million cycles per second);and gigahertz (GHz; 10 9 or 1 billion cycles per second.)

KINETIC ENERGY:

The energy that an object possesses due to its motion, as with a sled when sliding down a hill. This is contrasted with potential energy.

LONGITUDINAL WAVE:

A wave in which the movement of vibration is in the same direction as the wave itself. This is contrasted to a transverse wave.

MAXIMUM DISPLACEMENT:

For an object in oscillation, maximum displacement is the farthest point from stable equilibrium.

OSCILLATION:

A type of harmonic motion, typically periodic, in one or more dimensions.

PERIOD:

In oscillation, a period is the amount of time required for one cycle. For a transverse wave, a period is the amount of time required to complete one full cycle of the wave, from trough to crest and back to trough. In a longitudinal wave, a period is the interval between waves. Frequency is the mathematical inverse of period ( T ):hence, T =1/ f.

PERIODIC MOTION:

Motion that is repeated at regular intervals. These intervals are known as periods.

POTENTIAL ENERGY:

The energy that an object possesses due to its position, as, for instance, with a sled at the top of a hill. This is contrasted with kinetic energy.

STABLE EQUILIBRIUM:

A position in which, if an object were disturbed, it would tend to return to its original position. For an object in oscillation, stable equilibrium is in the middle of a cycle, between two points of maximum displacement.

TRANSVERSE WAVE:

A wave in which the vibration or motion is perpendicular to the direction in which the wave is moving. This is contrasted to a longitudinal wave.

WAVE MOTION:

A type of harmonic motion that carries energy from one place to another without actually moving anymatter.

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