Wave Behaviour: notes and practice questions

This topic introduces simple harmonic motion (SHM), a type of oscillatory motion. SHM occurs when the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from equilibrium and directed towards it.

This topic covers the fundamental properties and characteristics of travelling waves, including their classification and how they transfer energy. Waves can be classified as transverse or longitudinal.

This topic describes wave behaviour, including reflection, refraction, diffraction, and interference. Waves are represented by wavefronts and rays, reflecting, refracting, and transmitting at boundaries.

This topic covers the formation and characteristics of standing waves and the phenomenon of resonance. Standing waves form from the superposition of two identical waves travelling in opposite directions.

This topic covers the quantitative description of simple harmonic motion (SHM) using phase angle and energy considerations. A particle undergoing SHM can be described using phase angle $\phi$.

This topic introduces the Doppler effect for sound waves and electromagnetic waves. It describes the change in observed frequency or wavelength due to relative motion between source and observer.

This topic extends the understanding of wave phenomena to include higher level concepts of diffraction and interference. Single-slit diffraction intensity patterns are described by $\theta = \frac{\lambda}{b}$, where $\theta$ is the angle to the first minimum, $\lambda$ is the wavelength, and $b$ is the slit width.

This topic extends the understanding of the Doppler effect to include quantitative analysis for sound and mechanical waves. For a moving source, the observed frequency $f'$ is given by $f' = f\left(\frac{V}{V \pm u_s}\right)$, where $f$ is the source frequency, $V$ is the wave speed, and $u_s$ is the source speed.