Waves

Question 1

Wavelength

Answer 1

The length (in space) of one complete wave cycle, measured in distance units

Question 2

Visible Light

Answer 2

Light with frequencies that humans can see

Wavelength: red is long. Violet is short.
Frequency: red is low. Violet is high.

Question 3

Decibel

Answer 3

The unit for the loudness of sound and is abbreviated dB

Question 4

Crests

Answer 4

The peaks, or hoghest points, of a veryically vibrating transverse wave

Question 5

Wave speed

Answer 5

A measure of how fast the wave energy moves from one place to another

Question 6

Frequency

Answer 6

The number of full cycles that happen each second, measured in cycles per second, or hertz (Hz)

Question 7

Compression Wave

Answer 7

A longitudinal wave with areas of high and low pressure, or density

Question 8

Longitudinal Wave

Answer 8

A wave in which the direction or the vibration is parallel to the direction the energy travels

Question 9

Wave

Answer 9

A disturbance that transports energy as it moves through space and time

Question 10

Threshold of Pain

Answer 10

Sound at 120 dB

Question 11

Pitch

Answer 11

How high or low the sound seems to a human ear

Question 12

Electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 12

The entire range of frequencies of electromagnetic waves from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays

Question 13

Specular Reflection

Answer 13

A reflection that looks like the image

Question 14

Reflection (of light)

Answer 14

The bouncing of light off of a surface

Question 15

Nearsightedness

Answer 15

A vision problem in which a person cannot see distant objexts without correction because their eyeball is too long. Nearsightedness is corrected with diverging lenses.

Question 16

Threshold of hearing

Answer 16

0 dB, the softest sound a human can hear

Question 17

Farsightedness

Answer 17

A vision problem in which a person cannot see nearby objects without correction. Farsightedness is corrected with converging lenses.

Question 18

Loudness

Answer 18

Human perception of the intensity of a sound

Question 19

Refraction (of Light)

Answer 19

The bending of a light ray’s direction of travel as it passes from one material to another

Question 20

Troughs (of a wave)

Answer 20

The valleys, or lowest points, of a vertically vibrating transverse wave

Question 21

Intensity

Answer 21

The amount of energy transporter by a wave, measured in decibels (dB)

Question 22

Transverse Wave

Answer 22

A wave in which the direction of the vibration is perpendicular to the directioncthe energy travels

Question 23

Medium

Answer 23

The material that carries a mechanical wave

Question 24

Amplitude

Answer 24

The maximun displacement of a particle of the medium during a vibration (measured from non-vibrating position to one crest)

Question 25

Period

Answer 25

The time it takes to complete one full wave cycle, measured in seconds

Question 26

Mechanical Waves

Answer 26

Physical waves that travel through a medium

Question 27

Photon

Answer 27

A particle of light energy

Question 28

Electromagnetic Waves

Answer 28

Waves consisting of vibrating electric and magnetic fields. Elctromagnetic waves can travel throigh a vacuum because they do not require a medium. Emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero.

Question 29

Compound Microscope

Answer 29

An optical instrument that often uses two thick convex lenses to magnify very small objects

Question 30

Telescope

Answer 30

An optical instrument that often uses two convex lenses to form a virtual image of a distant object

Question 31

Dual nature

Answer 31

Light has both a wave nature and a particle nature

Question 32

Diffuse Reflection

Answer 32

A reflection in which no image is seen

Question 33

Excited Electrons

Answer 33

Electrons in orbitals higher than the ground state

Question 34

Electron Transitions

Answer 34

The movement of electrons from the ground state in atoms to higher orbitals and back due to the absorption and emission of energy