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A level Physics > 4.4 Waves > Flashcards

4.4 Waves Flashcards

1
Q

Define the term ‘progressive wave’

A

A wave which transfers energy from one place to another with a wave front which travels through the material (in contrast to stationary waves which don’t appear to move)

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2
Q

What is a longitudinal wave?

A

Waves which the particles oscillate in same direction as energy propagation

There are rarefractions (areas of low pressure) and compressions (areas of high pressure)

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3
Q

What is a transverse wave? Give examples

A

Waves where the particle oscillations are perpendicular to the energy propagation

For example: EM waves

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4
Q

Define frequency and give its units

A 
The number of waves passing through a point per second
Unit Hertz (Hz)
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5
Q

Define wavelength

A

The distance between two adjacent corresponding points (e.g peaks) on a wave

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6
Q

Define amplitude

A

The maximum displacement of the wave from its equilibrium position

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7
Q

How can you find out the time period of a wave using its frequency?

A

Time period = 1/frequency

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8
Q

What is the phase difference of a wave and what is it measured in?

A

The amount one wave lags behind another as a proportion of the wavelength. Measured in radians or degrees.

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9
Q

What do each of the axes on an oscilloscope measure?

A

Vertical divisons = voltage/amplitude of the wave

Horizontal divisions = time

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10
Q

Define refraction

A

Refraction is when a wave bends at a boundary between two materials due to the difference in density causing it to speed up or slow down

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11
Q

True or false:

A wave can either be refracted or reflected at a boundary, but never both

A

False

At low angle of incidence most will be refracted, but some will reflect

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12
Q

True or false:

Diffraction is most noticeable when the wavelength is much larger than the gap the wave is travelling through

A

False
The most diffraction is seen when the gap and the wavelengths are the same size
If the wavelength is much bigger the waves will be mostly reflected

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13
Q

Can all waves be polarised?

A

No. Only transverse waves.

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14
Q

What is the difference between a polarised wave and an unpolarised wave?

A

Polarised waves only contain waves oscillating along one axis

Unpolarised waves can be oscillating in any direction perpendicular to the axis of propagation

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15
Q

Desribe how a ripple tank might be used to investigate diffraction

A
  • create water waves in the tank
  • vary the size of a gap for them to pass through
  • note how the direction of waves passing through changes
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16
Q

Polarised light is being passed through a rotating polarisation filter. What would happen to the intensity of the light passing through it?

A

It would vary from a maximum (all light passes through) when the axis of polarisation and the axis of the filter line up to a minimum (no light passes through) when the axes are perpendicular

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17
Q

How is intensity defined in terms of power?

A

Intensity is power/area

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18
Q

How are intensity and amplitude related?

A

Intensity is proportional to amplitude²

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19
Q

True or false:

All electromagnetic waves have the same time period

A

False

They all travel at the same speed - but their wavelengths, frequencies and time periods vary

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20
Q

How fast do electromagnetic waves travel in a vacuum?

A

3x10^8 m/s

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21
Q

True or false:

The magnetic field and electric field in an electromagnetic wave are parallel to each other

A

False

The electric and magnetic fields are at right angles to each other

22
Q

Put the following in order from highest to lowest frequency:

X-rays, Radio, Microwaves, UV, Visible

A 
Highest 
X-rays
UV
Visible 
Microwaves
Radio
Lowest
23
Q

What type of EM radiation has a wavelength of approximately 1 μm

A

Infrared is between 700nm and 1mm

24
Q

What is the range of wavelengths commonly known as ‘visible light’?

A

300 to 700 nm

25
Q

True or false

microwaves can be polarised using a metal grid rather than a polarising filter

A

True

this is because the wavelength of microwaves is sufficiently large then the grid can work as a polarising filter

26
Q

What is meant by the refractive index of a material? What equation can be used to find it?

A 
The refractive index is a measure of how fast light travels in a material compared to its speed in a vacuum
It is found using n = c/v
where n = refractive index
c = speed of light
v = velocity in material
27
Q

A beam of light is shone at a boundary between air and glass. As the angle of incidence is increased from 0 to 90 what would you see?

A

At 0 degrees all of the light would pass into the material along the normal
The light would then be seen to be refracted (the angle to the normal in the glass would be larger than the incident angle)
Eventually the light would bend so much it would start to be reflected back

28
Q

What is the name given to the angle of incidence at which. light will be reflect off a boundary rather than refracting in the medium?

A

The critical angle

sin(C) = 1/n

C = critical angle
n = refractive index
29
Q

What is the name given to what happens to light at angles greater than the critical angle?

A

Total internal reflection

30
Q

Waves can ‘superpose’ - what does this mean?

A

Two waves in the same place (ie one on top of the other) will combine

31
Q

What are the two types of interference?

A

Constructive and destructive

32
Q

Describe an experiment to investigate the principle of superposition using sound

A
  • Use two speakers, a moderate distance apart, connected to the same signal generator to transmit sound waves
  • Walk along a line perpendicular to the speakers - you should hear alternating loud and quiet points
  • This is because in some places the waves from each speaker constructively interfere (loud) and in some places it’s destructive
33
Q

Define coherence

A

Coherent waves have the same frequency and wavelength and a fixed phase difference (often zero in examm questions)

34
Q

If two waves are in phase will they constructively or destructively interfere?

A

Constructively

35
Q

True or false:

Path difference and phase difference are two names for the same thing

A

False:
PAth difference is the difference in distance that the two waves have travelled in terms of wavelength (units of length)
Phase difference is the difference in the point in the cycle of two waves as a proportion of a full wave cycle (units of degrees/radians)

36
Q

Why is a laser useful in showing interference and diffraction

A

It produces monochromatic (same wavelength/colour) light

37
Q

What is Young’s double silt experiment?

A

A single source of light directed toward a double slit, which creates two coherent beams of light> This interferes as it hits the screen and creates an interference pattern

38
Q

Describe the interference pattern created using white light.

A

The interference pattern would be a repeating coloured spectrum along the screen, with a bright white point directly in front of the slit

39
Q

Increasing the slit width increases the width of the central diffraction maximum. True or false?

A

True

40
Q

What equation relates the wavelength of light to the slit spacing and distance to the screen?

A

λ = ax/D

41
Q

What two properties of light can only be explained if it is a wave?

A

Diffraction

Interference

42
Q

When shining light through a diffraction grating there is a maximum number of fringes which would be produced. How do you find this number?

A

nλ = Dsinθ
The max angle that would produce a fringe would be 89.999… (so use 90)
Rearrange the equation for n using θ=90

43
Q

What is a stationary wave?

A

Stationary waves consist of alternating fixed pattern nodes (points with zero amplitude) and antinodes (points with maximum amplitude). No energy is transferred across the wave

44
Q

What is a node?

A

A point with no vibrations in which the resultant amplitude is 0

45
Q

What is an antinode?

A

A point with maximum vibration in which the resultant amplitude is at maximum

46
Q

What are the conditions for a stationary wave to be produced?

A
  • The wave must be coherent
  • They must be travelling in opposite directions

These conditions are often met when a wave is reflected back onto itself

47
Q

Give an example of an experiment you could do to show a stationary wave

A

Use an oscillator to pass a wave along a string which is fixed at one end
The stationary wave will form when the progressive wave is reflected off the fixed end

48
Q

Give a similarity and a difference between stationary and progressive waves

A

Similarity: Both have wavelength frequency and amplitude
Difference: Stationary waves don’t transmit energy from one place to another

49
Q

How could you use the formation of stationary waves in a resonance tube to find the speed of sound

A
  • Create a closed end pipe using a hollow pipe inside a measuring cylinder containing water
  • Use a tuning fork (producing known frequency) and hold it above the tube
  • MOve the tube up until you find the first position which causes a resonance
  • This length will be a quarter wavelength
  • Use speed = frequency x wavelength
50
Q

What is meant by harmonics?

A

Harmonics are ponts where the stationary wave form doesn’t change because the waves in each direction are reinforcing each other.

51
Q

A stationary wave on a string is made to oscillate at its fundamental frequency (1st harmonic) - How many bodes and antinodes would you see?

A

Nodes - 2 (1 at either end)

Antinodes - 1 (in the middle)

A level Physics (17 decks)

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