waveform

(noun)

The shape of a physical wave, such as sound or electromagnetic radiation. The shape can be any function that repeats in space.

Related Terms

  • Fourier analysis

Examples of waveform in the following topics:

  • Position, Velocity, and Acceleration as a Function of Time

    • More generally, waveforms are scalar functions $u$ which satisfy the wave equation, $\frac{\partial^2u}{\partial t^2}=c^2\nabla^2u$.
    • This equation simply states that the acceleration of the waveform (Left: second derivative with respect to time) is proportional to the Laplacian (Right: second spatial derivative) of the same waveform.
    • Consider one of the most common waveforms, the sinusoid.
    • A sample of several common, simple waveforms.
    • A waveform is a function that repeats in space.
  • Quantum-Mechanical View of Atoms

    • Adopting Louis de Broglie's proposal of wave-particle duality, Erwin Schrödinger, in 1926, developed a mathematical model of the atom that described the electrons as three-dimensional waveforms rather than point particles.
    • A consequence of using waveforms to describe particles is that it is mathematically impossible to obtain precise values for both the position and momentum of a particle at the same time; this became known as the uncertainty principle, formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1926.
  • Root Mean Square Values

    • The RMS values are also useful if the voltage varies by some waveform other than sinusoids, such as with a square, triangular or sawtooth waves .
  • Period and Frequency

    • ., in rotation) or the rate of change of the phase of a sinusoidal waveform (e.g., in oscillations and waves), or as the rate of change of the argument of the sine function.
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