Properties of Waves Unit Review

Question 1

Wave

Answer 1

is a transfer of energy in a form of a disturbance

Question 2

Cycle

Answer 2

one complete oscillation

Question 3

Frequency

Answer 3

the number of cycles per second

Question 4

Period

Answer 4

the time for 1 complete oscillation or cycle

Question 5

Amplitude

Answer 5

the maximum height of the wave.

Question 6

Pulse

Answer 6

is a single disturbance moving through a medium from one location to another. Is equal to 1/2 of a wave.

Question 7

Electromagnetic wave

Answer 7

-do not need a medium
-can travel through space
ex) light, x-ays, microwaves

Question 8

Mechanical wave

Answer 8

-waves that require a material medium (stuff) to travel through
ex) water, jump rope, sound (sound particles)

Question 9

Transverse waves

Answer 9

particles of the medium vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wave.

Question 10

Longitudinal wave

Answer 10

waves in which the particles of the medium vibrate in a direction parallel of the waves travel

Question 11

Surface wave

Answer 11

a combination of transverse and longitudinal waves. Particles move both parallel and perpendicular to the waves direction

Question 12

Idea wave

Answer 12

are waves in which there is no change in the amplitude (energy) as the wave travels

Question 13

Compression

Answer 13

part of longitudinal wave where the particles are compressed together more than normal

Question 14

rarefaction

Answer 14

part of longitudinal wave where the particles are spread apart further than normal

Question 15

Damping

Answer 15

the loss of amplitude (energy) as a wave travels.
-is due to friction and the energy lost becomes heat.

Question 16

Partial reflection/partial transmission

Answer 16

when waves travel into a different medium, some energy will be transmitted and some will be reflected

Question 17

Impedance

Answer 17

is the resistance a material has to a wave energy that is passing through it.

Question 18

Diffraction

Answer 18

the bending (curving) of waves as they pass by objects or through small openings

Question 19

Interference

Answer 19

is the event that occurs when two waves meet while travelling along the same medium.

Question 20

Constructive Interference

Answer 20

Occurs when the two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction. The resulting pulse is larger than either repulse was on its own. Both pulses must be upward or downward.

Question 21

Destructive interference

Answer 21

Occurs when the two interfering waves have displacements in opposite directions. the resulting pulse is smaller than either was on their own

Question 22

Principle of superposition

Answer 22

when two waves are in the same place, add their displacements and that will be where the resulting wave occurs.

Question 23

Standing wave

Answer 23

is a wave that looks like it’s staying in one place. It’s made when two waves of the same size and speed move in opposite directions and combine.

Question 24

Node

Answer 24

is a point on a standing wave that doesn’t move at all. It’s where two waves cancel each other out.

Question 25

Antinode

Answer 25

is a point on a standing wave where the wave moves the most. It's where the two waves collide their amplitude meets making the biggest movement.

Question 26

Law of reflection

Answer 26

the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

Question 27

Linear propagation

Answer 27

light always travels in a straight line

Question 28

Attitude/orentation

Answer 28

upright or inverted

Question 29

plane mirror

Answer 29

is any flat reflective surface

Question 30

object

Answer 30

refers to the item that is in front of the mirror

Question 31

image

Answer 31

what we see in the mirror

Question 32

Lateral inversion

Answer 32

when plane mirrors create special images that appear to be reverse horizontally

Question 33

concave mirror

Answer 33

is a slice of a sphere that is mirrored on the inside. light rays converge upon the reflection

Question 34

Convex mirror

Answer 34

is a slice of a sphere that is mirrored on the outside. light rays diverge upon reflection.

Question 35

Refraction

Answer 35

is the bending of light (or other waves) as it passes from one material into another. This happens because the wave changes speed in the new material.

Question 36

Index of refraction

Answer 36

is a number that shows how much light slows down in a material. The higher the number, the more the light bends.

Question 37

critical angle

Answer 37

when light passes from a thick (slow) material into a thin (fast) material, the ray bends away from the normal. angle of refraction is 90

Question 38

total internal reflection

Answer 38

if the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle, the ray will not pass into the second material. the ray will totally reflect back inside the first material