P6 Redo Flashcards
(131 cards)
What do waves transfer without transferring any matter?
Energy
Waves transfer energy from one place to another while the particles of the medium stay in the same place.
What is a medium in the context of waves?
The substance through which the wave travels (e.g. water, air)
A medium is the material that carries the wave.
In transverse waves, how are the vibrations oriented relative to the direction of energy transfer?
Perpendicular (at right angles)
Examples include light waves and ripples on water.
What is an example of a transverse wave?
Light
Other examples include ripples on water and waves on a string.
In longitudinal waves, how are the vibrations oriented relative to the direction of energy transfer?
In the same direction
An example of a longitudinal wave is a sound wave.
What are the two key components of longitudinal waves?
Compressions and rarefactions
Compressions are where particles are squished together, rarefactions are where they spread out.
Define amplitude in the context of waves.
The maximum displacement from the undisturbed (rest) position
Amplitude indicates how tall the wave is from its rest position.
What is wavelength?
The distance between one point on a wave and the same point on the next wave
For example, the distance from one trough to the next trough.
What is frequency and how is it measured?
The number of complete waves passing a point each second, measured in hertz (Hz)
1 Hz equals 1 wave per second.
What does the period of a wave represent?
The amount of time it takes for one complete wave to pass a certain point
The period is the inverse of frequency.
True or False: Waves carry matter along with energy.
False
Waves transfer energy without transferring matter.
Fill in the blank: The particles of the medium ________ as the wave travels.
vibrate
Give two examples of longitudinal waves.
Sound waves
Other examples can include pressure waves in fluids.
What is the formula to calculate the period of a wave from its frequency?
T = 1/f
T is the period in seconds, and f is the frequency in Hertz.
If a wave has a frequency of 2 Hz, what is its period?
0.5 s
Calculated using T = 1/f, where f = 2 Hz.
What is the wave speed equation?
Wave speed (m/s) = frequency (Hz) x wavelength (m)
This equation applies to all types of waves.
How do you find the wavelength of a radio wave with a frequency of 12,000,000 Hz?
Wavelength = (3 × 10^8) ÷ (12,000,000) = 25 m
The speed of radio waves in air is approximately 3 × 10^8 m/s.
What equipment is used to measure the speed of sound?
Oscilloscope and microphones
An oscilloscope displays waves visually, while microphones capture sound waves.
What is the first step to measure the speed of sound using an oscilloscope?
Connect two microphones to an oscilloscope
This setup allows you to visualize the sound waves captured by the microphones.
What should you do after connecting the microphones to the oscilloscope?
Connect a signal generator to a speaker
This generates sound waves at a set frequency.
What is the purpose of adjusting the distance between the microphones?
To measure one wavelength
The distance between the microphones should equal one wavelength when the waves line up again.
How do you calculate the speed of sound using the oscilloscope setup?
Use the formula v = fλ
v is the speed, f is the frequency set on the signal generator, and λ is the measured wavelength.
What is the approximate speed of sound in air?
330 m/s
This value serves as a reference to check experimental results.
Fill in the blank: The wave speed is how fast the wave is _______.
moving