Chapter 1: Light & Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What are waves?

A

Waves transfer energy from one place to another and don’t transfer any matter.

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2
Q

What is the distance for waves?

A

The distance is how far the waves haves travelled from it’s starting point.

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3
Q

What is the amplitude of waves?

A

The amplitude is how far the waves have oscillated from the equilibrium.

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4
Q

What is the wavelength?

A

Wavelength is defined as the measured distance between two identical points on two consecutive waves.

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5
Q

What is the period?

A

The time it takes to complete one whole cycle (in seconds=

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6
Q

What is the frequency?

A

1/T (In Hz)

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7
Q

What is the wave speed?

A

V (Wave speed in m/s) = f (frequency in Hz) multiplied by λ (It’s in meters)

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8
Q

To remember he colors we can use the acronym ROYGBIV

A

R = Red, O = Orange, Y = Yellow, G = Green, B = Blue, I = Indigo, V = Violet

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9
Q

What are the reason objects look like certain colors

A

There are 2 reasons: Wavelengths of the light hitting it and the properties of the object.

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10
Q

What are the 3 different states of object?

A

Absrobed, Reflected and Transmitted

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11
Q

Give an example of an opaque object

A

A cat, a dog a book

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12
Q

Why would a cat look yellow?

A

If the cat is yellow that means it absorbed all the colors except yellow which is reflected.

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13
Q

What is transparent?

A

The glass in the windows transmit nearly all the the light and only a small fraction of them are absorbed or reflected. That si transparent.

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14
Q

What is translucent?

A

This is basically semi-transparent.

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15
Q

What are wavelengths?

A

Only certain wavelengths can pass through them.

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16
Q

What can occupy the same space?

A

Matter can’t occupy the same place as another matter however waves can since they are only a displacement of matter.

17
Q

What is superposition?

A

When 2 waves combine they will exhibit super position.

18
Q

What is interference?

A

When 2 waves have contact with each other it is known as interference.

19
Q

What happens to the amplitude during an interference?

A

During an interference, let’s say a wave has an amplitude of X upon contact it will get turned into 2x the amplitude however as soon as the waves pass each other they will revert back to their original amplitude.