6.1: Wave Basics Flashcards
What do waves do?
Transfer energy from one place to another without transferring matter.
What does wave motion mean?
The movement of waves
What do waves transfer?
energy
What will happen to a cork in water when waves are present?
It will bob up and down and will not move in the direction of the wave.
How do you calculate wave speed?
frequency X wavelength
How do you calculate wave frequency?
Number of oscillations/time
What is the frequency of the wave that has oscillated 30 times in 5 seconds?
6Hz
What is both amplitude and wavelength measured in?
meters
What is the amplitude of a wave?
The largest distance that a point of the wave moves from the resting position.
What is the wavelength?
The distance between two adjacent wavefronts.
What does wavelength mean for transverse waves?
the distance between two peaks of adjacent waves
What direction do particles in a medium of a transverse wave vibrate in the direction of?
Right angles to the direction of the wave’s motion.
Name 3 examples of transverse waves.
Mexican wave
Corks bobbing
Moving springs
What direction do particles in a medium on longitudinal waves vibrate in the direction of?
The same way to the direction of the wave’s motion
Name 2 examples of longitudinal waves.
P-waves (primary waves)
Sound waves
