Waves Flashcards
(422 cards)
eg transverse waves
ripples on surface of water
eg longitudinal waves
sound waves travelling in air
what do waves do
transfer energy from one place to another
what type of energy do the ripples on water transfer
kinetic energy
what are the up and down movements of waves called
ocsillations
describe transverse wave
ocsillations are perpendicular to direction of energy transfer
what does ‘perpendicular’ mean
at right angles
how do sound waves travel
as particles in the air move from side to side
what are ‘compressions ‘ in air
regions where the air particles are very close tgether
what comes between compressions
rarefactions
what are rarefactions
regions where air is spaced out
describe longitudinal wave
oscillations parallel to direction of energy transfer
what do all longitudinal waves require to travel in
a medium, eg
air
liquid
solid
what is different between transverse and longitudinal in terms of needing a medium in order to travel
NOT ALL transverse need a medium to travel in
ALL longitudinal waves need a medium
what is travelling in terms of ripples on a water surface
the wave is travelling, not the water
what is travelling in terms of sound waves in air
the wave is travelling, not the air
what can a slinky be used to represent
transverse waves
(eg ripples on surface of water)
what does the red dot in the slinky represent
-a single point (eg a water molecule)
how does the slinky example prove that the wave and not
the water / air itself travels.
when wave travels through/ slinky is moved,
the dot oscillates up and down
but doesn’t travel along the medium
what happens when longitudinal waves are sent along slinky
red dot oscillates from side to side
doesn’t travel through medium
what does red dot in slinky, in transverse wave represent
particle of air
what is amplitude- define it
the maximum displacement of a point
on a wave away from its undisturbed position.
where is the undisturbed position
the points horizontally along the centre where the wave isn’t moving
define wavelength
distance from a point on one wave
to the equivalent point on the adjacent wave