P11: Waves

Question 1

What are the 2 types of waves?

Answer 1

Transverse
Longitudinal

Question 2

What is a transverse wave?

Answer 2

A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

Question 3

What is a longitudinal wave?

Answer 3

A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

Question 4

Give two examples of transverse waves?

Answer 4

Electromagnetic waves
Seismic s-waves

Question 5

Give 2 examples of longitudinal waves?

Answer 5

Sound waves
Seismic p-waves

Question 6

What are the 2 parts of a longitudinal wave called?

Answer 6

Compressions and rarefractions

Question 7

What is a wave’s amplitude?

Answer 7

The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position

Question 8

What is a wavelength?

Answer 8

The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave
Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough

Question 9

What is the frequency of a wave?

Answer 9

The number of waves that pass a given point each second

Question 10

What is the unit for frequency?

Answer 10

Hertz, Hz

Question 11

What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?

Answer 11

200 waves pass a given point each second

Question 12

What is wave speed?

Answer 12

The speed at which the wave moves or at which energy is transferred through a medium

Question 13

What does a wave transfer?

Answer 13

Energy

Question 14

State the equation to calculate wave speed?

Answer 14

Wave speed = frequency x Wavelength

Question 15

What wor is used to describe when a wave bounces off a surface?

Answer 15

Reflection

Question 16

How do sound waves travel through a solid?

Answer 16

The particles in a solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material

Question 17

What are ultrasound waves?

Answer 17

Waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing

Question 18

What natural event causes seismic waves to be produced? What types are produced?

Answer 18

Esrthquakes
They produce both P-waves and S-waves

Question 19

What type of spectrum do electromagnetic waves form?

Answer 19

A continuous spectrum

Question 20

Order the types of electromagnetic radiation from lowest to highest frequency?

Answer 20

Radio waves
Microwaves
Infrared
Visible light
Ultraviolet
X-rays
Gamma Rays

Question 21

How do the speed of EM radiation differ in a vacuum and in air?

Answer 21

Electromagnetic waves all travel at the same speed in a vacuum and in air

Question 22

What property of waves in different mediums causes refraction?

Answer 22

Velocity
Wave speed is slower in denser materials, causing refraction

Question 23

In which direction do waves refract when entering a denser medium?

Answer 23

They band towards the normal
The angle of refraction is less than the angle of incidence

Question 24

What type of eaves cna be produced by oscillations in an electrical circuit?

Answer 24

Radio waves

Question 25

How can radio waves create an alternating current in a circuit?

Answer 25

When radio waves are absorbed, they can induce oscillations in a circuit with the same frequency as the waves themselves

Question 26

Where do gamma rays orginate from?

Answer 26

They originate from changes in the nuclei of atoms

Question 27

What health effects can ultraviolet waves cause?

Answer 27

They can cause skin to age prematurely
They can increase the risk of developing skin cancer

Question 28

What health effects can X-rays and Gamma rays cause?

Answer 28

They are ionising radiation so can cause mutations in genes
They can lead to increased risk of developing various cancers

Question 29

Give 3 practical uses of infrred radiation?

Answer 29

Electrical heaters
Cooking food
Infrared cameras

Question 30

Give 2 practical uses for microwave radiation?

Answer 30

Satellite communications
Cooking food

Question 31

Give 2 practical uses for radio waves?

Answer 31

Television transmission
Radio transmission