BRAINCAKEProgressive Waves
A progressive wave is a wave that moves through a medium (or through space), carrying energy from one place to another without transferring matter. The particles of the medium oscillate about fixed positions and pass the energy along.
Key terms:
Displacement (x): distance of a point from its equilibrium position, in a given direction.
Amplitude (A): the maximum displacement.
Wavelength (λ): the distance between two adjacent points in phase, such as crest to crest.
Period (T): the time for one complete oscillation.
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More in Waves
- Earthquakes
- Phase and Phase Difference
- Superposition
- Interference
- Stationary Waves
- Demonstrating Stationary Waves
- Waves on a Stretched String
- Speed and Frequency of Waves on a Stretched String
All 22 lessons in Waves · All Edexcel AS-level Physics topics