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BTEC - Applied Science > Physics > Flashcards

Physics Flashcards

(90 cards)

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1
Q

Define periodic time

A

the time required for a wave to complete a full cycle

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2
Q

What is the symbol and unit for periodic time?

A

T/seconds

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3
Q

What is the equation linking periodic time and frequency?

A

T = 1/f

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4
Q

Define wave speed

A

The distance in metres travelled by a wave in one second

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5
Q

What is the unit of wave speed?

A

m/s or ms-1

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6
Q

Define wavelength

A

The distance between two points on a wave that have the same amplitude and are travelling in the same direction

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7
Q

What is the symbol and unit for wavelength?

A

λ/m

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8
Q

Define frequency

A

the number of waves produced in one second or the number of waves that pass a point each second

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9
Q

What are the units for frequency?

A

Hertz (Hz)

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10
Q

Define amplitude

A

Maximum distance from the undisturbed position

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11
Q

Define oscillation

A

a regular repetitive motion

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12
Q

What happens in one complete oscillation?

A

a vibration of a particle or wave or source through one complete cycle

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13
Q

What is a longitudinal wave?

A

A wave where the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

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14
Q

What is a transverse wave?

A

A wave where the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

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15
Q

How do you produce longitudinal waves on a slinky?

A

Push it backwards and forwards

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16
Q

How do you produce transverse waves on a slinky?

A

Move it up and down or from side to side

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17
Q

How do the particles move in a transverse wave?

A

Perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

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18
Q

How do the particles move in a longitudinal wave?

A

Parallel to the direction of energy transfer

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19
Q

Give three examples of transverse waves

A

Seismic S-waves, electromagnetic waves, water waves

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20
Q

Give three examples of longitudinal waves

A

Seismic P-waves, sound waves, ultrasound

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21
Q

Describe a compression on a longitudinal wave

A

An area where the particles come closer together

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22
Q

Describe a rarefaction on a longitudinal wave

A

An area where the particles are further apart

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23
Q

How are longitudinal waves used?

A

Echolocation, ultrasounds in diagnostic medicine

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24
Q

What is displacement on the context of waves?

A

A vector quantity that describes the distance and direction a particle moves from its undisturbed position

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25
What can a displacement-time graph tell us?
Amplitude and periodic time
26
What can a displacement-distance graph tell us?
Amplitude and wavelength
27
What is superposition?
When waves overlap
28
How do you work out net displacement of particles in superposed waves?
Add the displacements of each wave together
29
What is phase difference?
The amount by which one wave leads another
30
How is phase difference measured?
In degrees or fractions of a wavelength
31
In phase difference, how do angles relate to wavelengths?
One wavelength is 360°
32
What is constructive interference?
When two waves superpose in phase, so their peaks add together to give double the amplitude
33
What is destructive interference?
When two waves superpose in antiphase, so the resultant wave has zero amplitude
34
What are coherent wave sources?
Sources that produce waves with the same frequency and are in phase or have a constant phase difference
35
What is path difference?
The difference in distance travelled by two waves to reach a specific point
36
What path difference gives constructive interference?
Whole number multiples of λ
37
What path difference gives destructive interference?
Half-number multples of λ
38
What is a diffraction grating?
A series of slits that cause waves to be diffracted
39
What is diffraction?
The spreading out of waves when they pass through a narrow gap (slit)
40
What is an atomic emission spectrum?
A series of lines that show the frequencies of light emitted by an element
41
How is an emission spectrum produced?
By the electrons in the element changing energy levels - they absorb energy to move up a level (excited) and then emit energy when they return to their original level (relaxation)
42
What do electrons do when they return to a lower energy level?
Emit light of a specific frequency
43
How are elements treated before they produce an emission spectrum?
They must first be vapourised
44
What is the equation linking wavespeed, frequency, and wavelength?
v = fλ
45
What is a standing wave?
A wave that oscillates, but does not appear to move
46
How is a standing wave formed?
When a wave reflects from a fixed end point and there is interference between the original wave and the reflected wave
47
How do standing waves on strings appear?
They have twice he ampitude of the separate incident and reflected waves due to constructive interference
48
What is a node?
Point of zero vibration on a standing wave
49
What is an antinode?
Point of maximum amplitude on a standing wave
50
How far apart are successive nodes?
λ/2
51
How far apart are successive antinodes?
λ/2
52
What is the fundamental frequency?
The lowest frequency that can produce a standing wave (on a string this is half a wave on the entire string)
53
What is a harmonic?
Any standing wave on a string with a frequncy higher than the fundamental frequency
54
What is an alternative term for a standing wave?
Stationary wave
55
What is resonance?
The storing of energy on a standing wave
56
Why do stringed instruments sound richer than wind instruments?
Wind instruments have no even-numbered harmonics
57
How do optical fibres work?
light travels along them without escaping due to total internal reflection
58
what is total internal reflection?
the complete reflection of a ray of light when it hits a boundary above its critical angle
59
what is the critical angle?
the angle of incidence on or above which total internal reflection occurs
60
what happens below the critical angle?
a mixture of refraction and internal reflection
61
what is a fibre optic cable?
a large bundle of optical fibres
62
what is important about fibre optic cladding?
it helps to ensure total internal reflection because it has a lower refractive index than the glass
63
why does refraction occur?
because of a change in wave speed at the boundary between two mediums with different refractive indices
64
how does an endoscope work?
light is passed through a fibre optic cable into the body and then returns as an image through a parallel cable
65
what are endoscopes for?
for looking inside the body unintrusively, e.g. for keyhole surgery
66
why are many optical fibres needed in an endoscope cable?
each fibre carries one piece of the picture (a pixel)
67
what is an analogue signal?
a signal that continuously varies
68
what is a digital signal?
a series of on or off signals
69
what are advantages of digital signals?
less interference, so give a stronger signal; less energy loss, so can travel further
70
how is an analogue signal converted to a digital signal?
it is sampled at fixed time intervals and then converted into binary code
71
what is broadband?
fast internet, which can be anlogue or digital
72
what is multiplexing?
when light of different frequencies travels in a fibre optic at the same time, each frequency carries different information
73
what is the speed of light in a vacuum?
3 x 108 ms-1
74
what are the different electromagnetic waves?
radio, micro, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X, gamma
75
how are elctromagnetic waves different?
their frequencies and wavelengths are different
76
why are microwaves used for mobile phone signals?
because their high frequency gives greater bandwidth which allows large amounts of data to be transmitted
77
why don't mobile phone signals interfere?
microwaves can be divided into separate channels
78
why is wet weather bad for mobile signal?
water absorbs microwaves
79
why are mobile signals often bad in built-up areas?
the short wavelength/ high frequency reduces the amount of diffraction of the waves
80
what are the two types of satellite?
high and low orbit
81
what separates high and low orbit satellites?
the ionosphere
82
why are microwaves used with high orbit satellites?
they can penetrate the ionosphere
83
why are radio waves used with low orbit satellites?
they reflect off the ionosphere so can travel long distances on Earth
84
how are mobile signals transmitted?
they pass between base stations, which transmit and receive over short distances
85
what are bluetooth devices?
low power devices that link together over short distances (10 m)
86
why don't mobile phones or bluetooth need 'line of sight' to work?
they use radio and microwaves with long wavelengths
87
how do bluetooth and wifi avoid interference?
frequency hopping
88
what is wifi?
medium power transmission of the internet over medium distances (100 m)
89
what are infrared devices?
low power devices such as remote controls
90
why do infrared devices require line of sight?
they use infrared waves with short wavelengths

BTEC - Applied Science (3 decks)

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