6.6.1.2 properties of waves

Question 1

What is the amplitude of a wave

Answer 1

The amplitude of a wave is the maximum displacement of a point on wave away from its undisturbed position - distance from the rest position to the crest/trough

Question 2

What is the wavelength of a wave?

Answer 2

the wavelength of a wave is the distance from a point on one wave to the equivalent pint on the adjacent wave. For example, the distance between two adjacent crests.

Question 3

What is the frequency of a wave?

Answer 3

the frequency of a wave is the number of waves passing a point each second.

Question 4

Where is the trough on a wave?

Answer 4

At the bottom of a wave

Question 5

Where is the crest on a wave?

Answer 5

at the top of the wave

Question 6

What is the equation for period

Answer 6

Period (T, seconds) = 1 / frequency (f, Hz, Hertz)

Question 7

What is the wave speed?

Answer 7

the wave speed is the speed at which the energy is transferred (or the wave moves) through the medium

Question 8

What is the equation for wave speed?

Answer 8

wave speed (v, m/s) = frequency (f, hertz, Hz) x wavelength (λ, metres)

Question 9

What is a method to measure the speed of sound waves in air?

Answer 9

Person A has a stopwatch to hand and Person B fires a gun, when Person B fires the gun, Person A begins the stopwatch, When person A hears the gunshot, they stop the stopwatch.
Same applies to any other way of making sound.

Question 10

How do you measure the speed of sound waves?

Answer 10

timing how long it takes for the sound waves to travel a known distance through a medium

Question 11

What’s a method to measure the speed of ripples on a water surface?

Answer 11

A ripple tank

Question 12

What do transverse waves include ?

Answer 12

oscillations

Question 13

What are oscillations?

Answer 13

Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value or between two or more different states.

Question 14

What is the experiment including a ripple tank and how do you set it up?

Answer 14

A ripple tank is used to observe the features of water waves.
Fill a tray with a shallow amount of water. Place a vibrating bar towards the side within the tray, which is connected to a power pack. The bar vibrates creating waves across the surface of the water. Place a lamp above the ripple tank and a piece of white paper underneath the tank. When light shines through the water, it produces an image of the waves on the paper.
Measure the wavelength, speed and frequency of the waves, with the use of a mobile phone, recording what happens.

Question 15

To find wavelength in a ripple tank, what do you do?

Answer 15

find the difference between wavelength 1 and wavelength 10
Divide this number by 10 to find the wavelength of one wave.

Question 16

To find frequency in a ripple tank, what do you do?

Answer 16

place a timer next to the tank and count how many waves passing a point in one second, however, this is hard to do so, it is more accurate to count the number of waves in 10 seconds and then divide by ten.
It is easier to record than watch in slow motion. Recording both the timer as well as the waves.

Question 17

To find out the speed of the waves within a ripple tank, what do you do?

Answer 17

Wave speed (v, m/s) = frequency (f, Hz) x wavelength (λ, m)

Question 18

If a wave has a frequency of 2.4 Hertz and a wavelength of 0.026 metres- what is its wave speed?

Answer 18

2.4 x 0.026 = 0.0624 m/s

Question 19

What is another way to determine the wave speed within a ripple tank?

Answer 19

Select a wave and measure the time takes it to move the length of the tank-
Speed is calculated by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken

Question 20

What is the equation for speed?

Answer 20

Speed (s, m/s) = distance travelled (d, metres) / time taken (t, seconds)

Question 21

Why might there be slightly different results using certain methods which are kept the same throughout?

Answer 21

Due to measurement errors, for example timing.