Chapter 11 - Properties of Waves Flashcards
What are waves?
waves are a means of transferring energy from place to place
Does this slinky represent a longitudinal or transverse wave?

Transverse
Does this represent a transverse or longitudinal wave?

Longitudinal
What is a transverse wave?
- One that oscillates at right angles to the direction in which the energy or wave is moving
Name an example of a transverse wave
- light waves
- waves travelling on the surface of water
What is a longitudinal wave?
- A longitudinal wave is one in which the oscillations, are along the direction in which the energy or wave is moving
Name an example of longitudinal wave
Sound waves
Label:
a) Peak
b) Trough
c) Wavelength
d) Amplitude


What is the amplitude?
- Maxiumum movement of particles from their resting position caused by a wave
What is the wavelength?
- Distance between a particular point on a wave and the same point on the next wave
What is the frequency?
- Number of waves produced each second by a source
- Or the number passing a particular point each second
What is frequency measured in?
Hertz (Hz)
What is the period?
- The time it takes for a source to produce one wave
what is the equation for frequency?
1
__________________
time period (s)
what is the equation for time period?
1
frequency
Calculate the period of a wave a frequency of 200 Hz
T = 1 / frequency
= 1/200
= 0.005
= 5 ms
What is the equation for wave speed?
frequency x wavelength
A tuning fork creates sound waves with a frequency of 170 Hz. If the speed of sound in air is 340 m/s, calucate the wavelength of the sound waves
wave speed = frequency x wavelength
340 = 170 x wavelength
340 = 170 x 2
= 2m
Explain how a ripple tank works (6 points)
- Motor is turned on
- Wooden bar vibrates
- Creating a series of ripples on the surface of the water
- Light placed above the tank creates patterns
- Patterns of the water waves on the floor
- We can see how water waves are behaving through patterns
In reflection, the angle of incidence is ……. to the angle of reclection
equal
what happens to a wave when they strike a concave barrier?
- they become curved and are made to converge

what happens to waves when they strike a convex barrier?
- they are made to diverge

What is refraction?
- When waves change speed they change direction, when they cross a boundary between two substances with different densities

What is an example of refraction?
waves through glass and air



