6.1 BASICS Flashcards
What are the two types of waves?
- Transverse
2. Longitudinal
What is a transverse wave?
A wave for which the oscillations are
perpendicular to the direction of energy
transfer.
What is a longitudinal wave?
A wave for which the oscillations are
parallel to the direction of energy
transfer.
Give two examples of transverse waves.
- Electromagnetic waves
2. Seismic s-waves
Give two examples of longitudinal
waves.
- Sound waves
2. Seismic p-waves
What are the two parts of a longitudinal
wave called?
Compressions and rarefactions.
What is a wave’s amplitude?
The maximum displacement of a point
on a wave from its undisturbed position
What is wavelength?
● The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave ● Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough
What is the frequency of a wave?
The number of waves that pass a given
point each second
What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?
200 waves pass a given point each
second
What is wave speed?
The speed at which the wave moves or
at which energy is transferred through a
medium.
What does a wave transfer?
Energy
State the equation used to calculate
wave speed. Give appropriate units.
Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength
Speed (m/s), Frequency (Hz),
Wavelength (m)
What word is used to describe when a
wave bounces off a surface?
Reflection
How do sound waves travel through a
solid?
The particles in the solid vibrate and
transfer kinetic energy through the
material.
What is the frequency range of human
hearing?
20 Hz - 20kHz
1kHz = 1000 Hz
What are ultrasound waves?
Waves which have a frequency higher
than the upper limit of human hearing
(20kHz).
Give an example use for ultrasound
waves?
Medical or industrial imaging.
What natural event causes seismic
waves to be produced? What types are
produced?
● Earthquakes
● They produce both P-waves and
S-waves
State a difference between the mediums
that P-waves and S-waves can travel
through.
● P-waves travel through both solids and
liquids
● S-waves only travel through solids
(not liquids)
What technique is used to detect objects
in deep water and measure water depth?
● Echo sounding
● High frequency sound waves are emitted,
reflected and detected
● Time difference between emission and detection,
alongside wave speed, are used to calculate
distances
