Waves Flashcards
(76 cards)
What is a wave
an oscillation (vibration) that moves through space, transferring energy from one place to another but not transferring matter
Mechanical waves
vibrations that travel through a medium (substance) (eg sound, water, seismic waves)
What is a transverse wave
Vibrate perpendicular to the direction of travel
What is a longitudinal wave
Vibrate along direction of travel
Amplitude
The distance from the centre to the peak of the wave
Increasing amplitude increases
Volume (loud/quiet)
Increasing frequency increases
pitch
Wave front
a surface containing points affected in the same way by a wave at a given time
Wave length
distance between two points one cycle apart
Time period
Time taken for one complete waveS
Frequency
Number of complete waves per second (Hz)
State the equation linking Frequency, wave speed and wave length with symbols and units
Wave speed = frequency x wave length
v = f x h (curly upside down v type h)
m/s = Hz x m
State the EM wave spectrum from high to low frequqncy
Gamma rays - x-rays - ultraviolet - visible light - infrared - microwaves - radio waves
Dangers of Microwaves
Internal heating of body tissue
Some scientists think is causes tumours
Dangers of Infrared waves
Skin burns
Damage to the retina
Dangers of Ultraviolet waves
Damage to surface cells
Blindness
Skin Cancer
Cateracts
Dangers of Gamma Rays
Cancer
Mutations
Dangers of X-rays
Cancer
Mutations
Dangers of visible light
Damage to the retina
Dangers of radio waves
None known
Speed of all EM waves in a vacuum
3 x10 *8 m/s
Which colour in the rainbow has the longest wavelength
Red
Examples of longitudinal waves
Sound
Seismic P waves
Waves transfer ….. and ….. without transferring …..
energy , information , matter