It means that a small positive test charge placed anywhere the field is oscillating would experience an oscillating force.Cerkit said:what does the oscillation actually mean?
Cerkit said:Ok. So what is it about the source of the wave that causes the oscillation?
A propagating wave is a type of wave that travels through a medium, carrying energy and information from one location to another. It can take various forms, such as sound waves, electromagnetic waves, and water waves.
A propagating wave oscillates by repeatedly displacing the particles of the medium it travels through. This displacement creates a pattern of peaks and troughs, also known as a sine wave. The frequency of the oscillation determines the pitch or color of the propagating wave.
An oscillation is a repetitive back-and-forth movement, while a sine wave is a specific type of oscillation that follows a smooth, symmetrical curve. All sine waves are oscillations, but not all oscillations are sine waves.
A propagating wave can be described using the equation y = A sin (ωt ± φ), where A is the amplitude, ω is the angular frequency, t is time, and φ is the phase shift. This equation can help us understand the properties of a propagating wave, such as its wavelength, period, and speed.
Some common examples of propagating waves include sound waves traveling through air, radio waves transmitting information, and ocean waves moving through water. Other examples include seismic waves, light waves, and the vibrations of a guitar string.