General wave properties Flashcards
What is wave
A regular disturbance transferring energy in the direction of the wave’s propagation without transferring matter
What is a transverse wave
A wave in which oscillations are at right angles (perpendicular) to the direction of its motion
Give an example of transverse waves
Waves on a string, all electromagnetic waves, ripples on the water, vibrations on guitar strings
What is a longitudinal wave
A wave where the oscillations are parallel (same direction) to the direction of motion
Give examples of longitudinal waves
Pulses along a spring, sound waves, ultrasound
Transverse waveforms have ____
Peaks and Troughs
Longitudinal waveforms have _____
compressions and rarefractions
Wavelenght is ______
The shortest distnce between two consecutive waves
Displacement is ______
- The distnce from equilibrium position
- At maximum distance, this is the amplitude
Frequency is _____
The number of complete waves passing a given point per second, or the number of waves per second produced by the source
State the wave equation
v = λ x f
What is refraction
Refraction is the change in speed of a wave when crossing a boundary between two media, resulting in a change in direction
what property of a wave is not changed by refraction
The frequency
What happens when waves are incident on a flat surface
Reflection
A stronger reflected wave is produced when ___
The surface is smoother
Why do rough surfaces appear matt when illuminated
The reflected rays are scattered in all directions
When entering a denser material, light waves ____
slow down, and bend towards the normal
When entering a less dense material, light waves ___
speed up and bend away from the normal
What is diffraction?
The spreading out of waves passing through a narrow gap or across an edge
What size of gap produces the largest diffraction?
A gap of the same width as the wavelength of the wave passing through it
What is a ripple tank
A shallow glass tank with an oscilliating paddle/ needle to create waves. It is illuminated from above so waves can best seen on the surface below the tank
Describe how to demostrate reflection using a ripple tank
Waves will reflect of the glass sides of the tank
Describe how to demonstrate refraction using a triple tank
Place a glass box across half of the floor of the ripple tank. The waves will change speed when travelling through the less dense area.
Describe how to demonstrate diffraction using a triple tank
Place two glass blocks in the middle of the tank, leaving a small gap, and observe the pattern of the waves
