BRAINCAKEPhase and Phase Difference
The phase of a point on a wave describes where it is in its cycle of oscillation. The phase difference between two points (or two waves) tells you how far one is ahead of the other in the cycle.
Phase difference is measured as an angle. One complete cycle, which corresponds to one whole wavelength, is 360° or 2π radians.
In phase: two points are moving in exactly the same way at the same time. They are separated by a whole number of wavelengths (phase difference 0, 2π, 4π ...).
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Key terms in this lesson
- wavelength
- The distance between two adjacent points on a wave that are in phase, such as one crest to the next.
More in Waves
- Investigating the Speed of Sound
- Pulse Echo Measurements
- Transverse and Longitudinal Waves
- Earthquakes
- Superposition
- Interference
- Progressive Waves
- Stationary Waves
All 22 lessons in Waves · All Edexcel AS-level Physics topics