A spectrum of waves Flashcards
what is the crest of a wave.
The highest point on a wave above its rest position
what is the tough of a wave.
lowest point on a wave below its rest position.
What does it mean by a wavelength.
distance between two successive points on a wave having the same displacement and moving in the same direction
What is frequency
The number of complete waves passing a point in one second,
What is the amplitude of a wave,
maximum displacement of a particle from its rest position.
Name the electromagnetic spectrum in order.
radio-microwave-infrared-visible-UV-x ray- gamma
why does refraction occur
the speed of waves decrease as the wave enters a more dense medium and increases as the wave entered a less dense medium, frequency stays the same but wavelength does not.
What is diffraction
the spreading out of waves as it passes through a gap, the most diffraction occurs when the gap is a similar size to the wavelength, larger gap shows less diffraction.