6.1 Waves in air, fluids and solids

Question 1

What are the two types of waves?

Answer 1

● Transverse
● Longitudinal

Question 2

What is a transverse wave?

Answer 2

A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of the energy transfer

Question 3

What is a longitudinal wave?

Answer 3

A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

Question 3

Give three examples of transverse waves

Answer 3

● Electromagnetic waves

● Seismic S-waves

● Mexican wave

Question 4

Give three examples of longitudinal waves

Answer 4

● Sound waves
● Seismic P-waves
● Ultrasound waves

Question 5

What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called?

Answer 5

Compressions and rarefactions

Question 6

What is a wave’s amplitude?

Answer 6

The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position

Question 7

What is wavelength?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What is the frequency of a wave?

Answer 8

The number of waves that pass a given point each second

Question 9

What is the unit used for frequency?

Answer 9

Hertz (Hz)

Question 10

What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?

Answer 10

200 waves pass a given point each second

Question 11

What is wave speed?

Answer 11

The speed at which the wave moves or at which energy is transferred through a medium

Question 12

What does a wave transfer?

Answer 12

Energy

Question 13

State the equation used to calculate wave speed. Give appropriate units.

Answer 13

Wave speed = Frequency x Wavelength

Speed (m/s), Frequency (Hz), Wavelength (m)

Question 14

What word is used to describe when a wave bounces off a surface?

Answer 14

Reflection

Question 15

How do sound waves travel through a solid? (Higher)

Answer 15

The particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material

Question 16

What is the frequency range of human hearing? (Higher)

Answer 16

200Hz - 20kHz

1kHz = 1000Hz

Question 17

What are ultrasound waves? (Higher)

Answer 17

Waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing (20kHz)

Question 18

Give an example use for ultrasound waves

Answer 18

Medical or industrial imaging

Question 19

What natural event causes seismic waves to be produced? (Higher)

Answer 19

Earthquakes

Question 20

What are the two types of seismic waves? (Higher)

Answer 20

● Seismic P-waves
● Seismic S-waves

Question 21

State a difference between the mediums that S-waves and P-waves can travel through. (Higher)

Answer 21

P-waves travel through both solids and liquids

S-waves only travel through solids (not liquids)

Question 22

What technique is used to detect objects in deep water and measure water depth? (Higher)

Answer 22

Echo sounding - high frequency sound waves are emitted, reflected and then detected. Time difference between emission and detection, alongside wave speed, are used to calculate distances.