Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics
5 terms
Phase
Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics
rad (radians)
The fractional position of a point within a wave cycle, expressed as an angle relative to a reference origin.
Φ(x,t) = k x - ω t + φ0
Phase Difference
Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics
rad (radians)
The angular difference between corresponding points on two waves or between different points on a single wave.
Δφ = (2π / λ) Δx = (2π / T) Δt
Phase Velocity
Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics
m/s
The speed at which a single monochromatic wave crest or phase front advances through a medium.
v_p = ω / k = f λ
Pitch
Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics
Hz (or Musical Notes)
The subjective psychoacoustic perception of a sound's frequency by human listeners.
Pitch ∝ f
Principle of Superposition
Waves, Oscillations & Acoustics
m
The principle stating that when two or more linear waves overlap at a point, total resultant displacement equals vector sum of individual displacements.
y_total(x,t) = y1(x,t) + y2(x,t) + ... + yn(x,t)