Wave Equation

Mr. Andersen explains the wave equation in AP Physics Essentials video 106. He discusses how waves are generated in a string, focusing on the amplitude and wavelength. The video covers wave equations as functions of position and time, highlighting the role of period and frequency. Simulations using PhET and GeoGebra demonstrate wave properties, showing how changes in amplitude and wavelength affect wave behavior. The video concludes with a comparison of wave equations for position and time, emphasizing the relationship between period and frequency.

What does the wave equation primarily describe in terms of a wave?

• The temperature of the wave

• The position and energy transfer in the wave

• The speed of the wave

• The color of the wave

In the wave equation as a function of time, what does the variable T represent?

• The amplitude of the wave

• The wavelength of the wave

• The frequency of the wave

• The period of the wave

How is frequency related to the period in the context of wave equations?

• Frequency is the square of the period

• Frequency is the reciprocal of the period

• Frequency is twice the period

• Frequency is half the period

What happens to the wave when the amplitude is increased in the simulation?

• The wave becomes smaller

• The wave becomes larger

• The wave changes color

• The wave disappears

In the simulation, what effect does increasing the value inside the parentheses have on the wavelength?

• The wavelength increases

• The wavelength decreases

• The wavelength changes color

• The wavelength remains the same