a wave front has the form of a ?
There could be a number of terms that apply.
pressure ridge?
An isotropic wavefront has the form of an expanding sphere.
A planar wave has the form of a plane.
I went to www.google.com and searched for sound wave front, and here are two of the results:
Strong acousto-optic diffraction by a curved-sound wave front (A) Strong acousto-optic diffraction by a curved-sound wave front (A). Authors: Korpel, Adrianus; Pieper, R. J.. Publication: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, vol. ...
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1984OSAJ....1.1309K
Sound Wave Solutions If the sound is emitted equally in all directions from the source, a spherical wavefront is formed. Even if it is not emitted equally in all directions, ...
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/Class/phy51/phy51/node40.html
You can find more information if you search for it.
A wave front has the form of a continuous surface or curve that represents the crest (highest point) or trough (lowest point) of a wave at a specific instant in time. The shape of a wave front depends on the type of wave, such as a spherical wave from a point source, a planar wave from a line source, or a cylindrical wave from a disk source. Additionally, the wave front can be visualized as the locus of points that are in phase (having the same phase) at a given time.
To determine the form of a wavefront, we need to understand what a wavefront is. A wavefront is an imaginary surface that represents points in a wave that are in the same phase, meaning they have the same oscillation or vibration.
The form of a wavefront depends on the type of wave. There are two main types of waves: Transverse waves and longitudinal waves.
1. Transverse Waves: In transverse waves, the particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular (at right angles) to the direction of the wave propagation. Examples of transverse waves include light waves and waves on a water surface. The wavefronts of transverse waves are typically flat or planar surfaces that are perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. This means that the wavefronts will have the form of a straight line or a plane.
2. Longitudinal Waves: In longitudinal waves, the particles of the medium vibrate parallel to the direction of the wave propagation. Examples of longitudinal waves include sound waves and seismic waves. The wavefronts of longitudinal waves take on different forms depending on the source and the medium. They can be spherical, cylindrical, or even irregular in shape.
So, to determine the specific form of a wavefront, you need to know the type of wave and the conditions in which it is propagating.