Waves

Question 1

What is wavelength

Answer 1

Distance between the same points on two consecutive waves

Question 2

What is amplitude

Answer 2

distance between equilibrium line and maximum displacement

Question 3

What is frequency

Answer 3

the number of waves that pass through a single point per second

Question 4

What is a period

Answer 4

the time taken for a whole wave to completely pass a single point

Question 5

What is the equation for wave length

Answer 5

Wave speed= frequency x wavelength
v= f (lamda)

Question 6

What is the equation for a period of a wave

Answer 6

period = 1/frequency
T= 1/f
seconds= 1/ Hz
(time/number of waves)

Question 7

What are the two types of waves

Answer 7

Transverse and longitudinal

Question 8

What is a transverse wave?

Answer 8

Light or electromagnetic wave, has peaks and troughs, vibrates at a right angle to direction of energy transfer

Question 9

What is a longitudinal wave

Answer 9

Sound wave, has compressions and rarefaction, vibrations are in the same direction as direction as energy transfer

Question 10

What is key about a waves movement?

Answer 10

The wave moves not what it passes through.

Question 11

How to measure velocity of sound in air?

Answer 11

Make a noise 50 m from a wall and record time for an echo to be heard. Then use speed = distance/time

Question 12

How to measure velocity if ripples on water surface?

Answer 12

Use a stroboscope which has the same frequency as the water waves then measure distance between fixed ripple and use v= f x (lamda)

Question 13

What happens to waves at boundaries?

Answer 13

They can be reflected absorbed or transmitted

Question 14

When do waves reflect?

Answer 14

Off flat surfaces

Question 15

Angle of incidence =

Answer 15

angle of reflection

Question 16

When are waves transmitted?

Answer 16

Through transparent materials

Question 17

When are waves absorbed?

Answer 17

If frequency of light matches energy of electrons

Question 18

What happens when waves are absorbed?

Answer 18

The electrons absorb the light and remit it over time as heat

Question 19

What can sound waves travel through

Answer 19

Gas liquid and solid as they cause vibrations

Question 20

How do we hear sound?

Answer 20

Putter ear collects sounds
Travels down ear canal
Wave hits ear drum with same pressure to vibrate it
Small bones also vibrate at same frequency
Vibrations transmitted to ear canal
Small hairs lining cochlear move too for specific frequencies

Question 21

What range of Hz can humans hear?

Answer 21

20Hz - 20 kHz

Question 22

What’s an ultrasound?

Answer 22

When the wave reaches a boundary between 2 materials they are partially reflected back while the rest pass through.

Question 23

What is ultrasound used for?

Answer 23

Distances or imaging under surfaces

Question 24

What are P waves?

Answer 24

Longitudinal waves that pass through solids and liquids

Question 25

What are S waves?

Answer 25

Transverse waves that only pass through solids and move slower

Question 26

What are P and S waves used for?

Answer 26

Understanding the inside of the Earth

Question 27

What is a sonar?

Answer 27

A pulse of ultrasound sent below a ship to work out depth

Question 28

What are the electromagnetic waves?

Answer 28

Radio, Micro, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-rays, Gamma

Question 29

What are electromagnetic waves?

Answer 29

Transverse waves that don’t need particakes to move

Question 30

What part of our eyes detects visible light?

Answer 30

Retina

Question 31

What happens to refract a light wave?

Answer 31

Denser materials refract towards normal, less dense bends it away from normal

Question 32

Why does dispersion of a white light occur through a prism?

Answer 32

Different wave lengths redact different amounts.

Question 33

How are radio waves produced

Answer 33

Oscillations of electrical circuits

Question 34

What is electromagnetic radiation?

Answer 34

When electrons change orbit?

Question 35

What happens when the electrons move to a higher orbit?

Answer 35

The atom has absorbed EM rasiation

Question 36

What happens when the electron falls to a lower orbit?

Answer 36

The atom has emitted EM radiation

Question 37

What is a wave?

Answer 37

an oscillation or vibration passing through a medium

Question 38

What is the movement of a wave caused by?

Answer 38

The individual particles of the medium moving/ oscillating around its rest position

Question 39

What happens in longitudinal waves?

Answer 39

They have compressions and rerefaction

Question 40

Equation for frequency of waves?

Answer 40

Frequency = number of waves/ time 1/t

Question 41

What does speed of sound depend on?

Answer 41

The density and temp of material but can be considered constant on any day

Question 42

What is equation for percentage uncertainty?

Answer 42

resolution/ value half range/ mean x100

Question 43

What is a black body?

Answer 43

An object that absorbs all the radiation it receives and also emits all types of radiation