CHAPTER 12 Flashcards
(90 cards)
what are electromagnetic waves
vibrations that don’t travel through a medium
what are mechanical waves
vibrations that travel through a substance
examples of mechanical waves 2
sound waves
seismic waves
examples of electromagnetic waves 2
radio waves
light waves
what is the amplitude of a wave
the distance from the distance line to the peak
the maximum displacement from its undisturbed position
what is the wavelength
the distance between the same two points on two consecutive waves
what is frequency
the number of waves passing through a certain point per second
what is frequency measured in
hertz hz
what are the two types of waves
longitudinal and transverse
equation for period of a wave
1 / frequency
what is the period of a wave
the time it takes to complete one full cycle of the wave
characteristics of transverse waves
oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
the go up and down
where do waves transfer energy
in the direction and they are travelling
characteristics of longitudinal waves
oscillations are parallel along the direction of travel
they go left and right
examples of traverse waves
electromagnetic waves
examples of longitudinal waves
sound waves
what does a large amplitude show q
the waves are carrying a lot of energy
what is the wave speed
the distance travelled by a wave each second through a substance
how to calculate wave speed
wave speed = frequency x wavelength
what is rarefaction
when the waves become more spread out
what is compression
when the waves get closer together
how to investigate reflection of waves
use a ripple tank
what is refraction
the change in direction of a wave when it crosses between medium
what is important to remember about the angle of incidence and reflection
they are the same