Unit 6 - Waves Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is a wave? A wave can be described as ________.
A wave can be described as a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another location. Waves can be considered to be an energy transport phenomenon because energy is transferred from one point to another some distance away. A wave transports its energy without transporting matter. The particles of the medium do not travel between the two points.
Explain how waves are form when you shake a rope.
You can shake a rope, causing a wave motion because the pars to the rope only move up-and-down, but the wave moves from one end of the rope to the other.
Does a guitar string have wave motion?
yes
What is the difference between a mechanical wave and an electromagnetic wave?
Mechanical waves require a medium through which they propagate. Put simply, the medium is the physical substances waves move through.
However, electromagnetic waves do not require any medium, thus they can propagate through even vacuum.
Is it true that waves follow the laws of reflection and refraction?
Yes. An examples of this is light waves.
Which is an example of longitudinal waves?
A) Waves in a ripple tank
B) A vibrating guitar string
C) Light waves in air
D) Sound waves produced by a vibrating guitar string
What is the meaning of displacement of a point on the wave?
Displacement of any point on the wave is a vector pointing from its rest position to the point.
What is the definition of amplitude of a wave?
Amplitude of a wave is its maximum magnitude of displacement from its rest position.
What is the definition of period in the topic of waves?
Period T is the time taken by each point on the wave to complete one oscillation.
What is the definition of frequency in the topic of waves?
Frequency f is the number of oscillations each point completes per second.
What is the unit of frequency f?
Unit of f is hertz (Hz)
What is the formula that relates frequency and period?
f = 1/T
What is the definition of wavelength?
Wavelength (lambda) is the shortest distance between two successive crests or troughs.
What is the definition of phase difference?
Phase difference is the difference in stages of oscillation cycles between two waves at a point or two points on a wave.
The highest point of a transverse wave is called the _______ and the lowest point of a transverse wave is called the _______.
first blank: crest
Second blank: trough
What does the crest mean?
The highest point of a transverse wave is called the crest.
What does the trough mean?
The lowest point of a transverse wave is called the trough.
What is the meaning of wave speed?
Wave speed is the distance travelled by a wave per second.
What is the meaning of wavefronts?
Wavefronts are lines that join all the crests/troughs of water wave or all identical points of a water wave.
