6.1 Waves (waves in air, fluids, and solids)

Question 1

What are the two types of waves?

Answer 1

1. Transverse
2. Longitudinal

Question 2

What is a transverse wave?

Answer 2

A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of 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 4

Give two examples of transverse waves

Answer 4

1. Electromagnetic waves
2. Seismic s-waves

Question 5

Give two examples of longitudinal waves

Answer 5

1. sound waves
2. seismic p-waves

Question 6

What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called?

Answer 6

Compressions and rarefactions

Question 7

What is a wave’s amplitude?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What is wavelength?

Answer 8

• 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 9

What is the frequency of a wave?

Answer 9

The number of waves that pass a given point each second

Question 10

What is the unit used for frequency?

Answer 10

Hertz, Hz

Question 11

What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?

Answer 11

200 waves pass a given point each second

Question 12

What is wave speed?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What does a wave transfer?

Answer 13

Energy

Question 14

State the equation used to calculate wave speed.

Answer 14

wave speed = frequency x wave length

Question 15

What are the units for wave length?

Answer 15

m

Question 16

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

Answer 16

reflection

Question 17

How do sound waves travel through a solid?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What is the frequency range of human hearing?

Answer 18

20 Hz - 20KHz

Question 19

What are ultrasound waves?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Give an example use for ultrasound waves?

Answer 20

medical or industrial imaging

Question 21

What natural event causes seismic waves to be produced? What types are produced?

Answer 21

earthquakes - they produce both P-waves and S-waves

Question 22

State a difference between the mediums that P-waves and S-waves can travel through

Answer 22

• P-waves travel through both solids and liquids
• S-waves only travel through solids

Question 23

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

Answer 23

• 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