Waves & Sound Glossary Terms Chapter 9

-the process of generating a new wave when two or more waves meet

-at any point the amplitude of two interfering waves is the sum of amplitudes of the individual waves

-the process of forming a wave with a larger amplitude when two or more waves combine

-the process of forming a wave with a smaller amplitude when two or more waves combine

-the location where two or more media meet

-a reflection that occurs at a media boundary where the second medium is less dense than the first medium; reflections have an amplitude with the same orientation as the original wave

-a reflection that occurs at a media boundary where one end of the medium is unable to vibrate; reflections are inverted

-the motion of a wave through a medium, or motion of a wave from one medium to another medium

-if the wave moving along the rope encounters a medium a medium that has a slower wave speed, then the wave splits into two, and one wave is reflected and the other is transmitted (the reflected wave is upright)

-if a wave moves into a faster medium, then the wave splits into two, and one wave is reflected and the other is transmitted (the reflected wave is inverted)

-an interference pattern produced when incoming and reflected waves interfere with each other; the effect is a wave pattern that appears to be stationary

-in a standing wave, the location where the particles of the medium are at rest

-in a standing wave, the location where the particles or the medium are moving with greatest speed; the amplitude will be twice the amplitude of the original wave

-the lowest frequency that can produce a standing wave in a given medium

-whole-number multiples of the fundamental frequency

-a sound resulting from a string that vibrates with more than one frequency

-standing waves can be generated in a medium with two open (free) ends (common in brass instruments)

-standing waves may be generated by having a source on one end, which is an antinode and a node at the other (created by a clarinet)

-periodic change in sound intensity caused by the interference between two nearly identical sound waves

-the frequency of beats produced by the interference of two waves with slightly different frequencies; equal to the difference in the frequencies of the interfering waves

f_b=f₂-f₁

-a reduction in the amplitude of a wave as a result of energy absorption or destructive interference

-the frequency at which a medium vibrates most easily

-the condition in which the frequency of a wave equals the resonant frequency of the wave's medium

-when an external force vibrates such a system at a frequency close to the structure's resonant frequency, then resonance occurs increasing the amplitude significantly, perhaps to the point of damaging the building

-when a source of sound approaches an observer, the observed frequency of the sound increases; when the source moves away from an observer, the observed frequency of the sound decreases