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Science > Level 1 Physical Science: Waves & Light > Flashcards

Level 1 Physical Science: Waves & Light Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a wave

A

A transfer of energy from one point to another without the transference of matter. Some need a medium to travel others can travel through a vacuum.

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2
Q

What are the 2 types of waves

A

Transverse and Longitudinal

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3
Q

What is a transverse wave

A

Particles oscillate at 90° to the direction of the wave.

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4
Q

How do you remember to draw a transverse wave

A

s,s ~

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5
Q

Examples of transverse waves

A

Water waves, light, earthquake (surface wave)

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6
Q

What is a longitudinal wave

A

Particles oscillate parallel to the direction of the wave.

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7
Q

What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave

A

Compression & rarefaction

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8
Q

Examples of longitudinal wave

A

Sound, earthquake (propagation wave)

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9
Q

What is a light wave

A

Transverse, can travel through a vacuum.

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10
Q

What is a sound wave

A

Longitudinal, needs a medium to travel through, caused by a vibrating object e.g a speaker.

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11
Q

What type of wave is a light wave

A

Transverse

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12
Q

What type of wave is a sound wave

A

Longitudinal

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13
Q

What are the 3 formulas to do with waves

A

T=1/f V=d/t V=fλ

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14
Q

What is the formula for period or frequency

A

T=1/f

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15
Q

What is the formula for the speed/time/distance of the wave/wave has travelled

A

V=d/t

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16
Q

What is the formula for the wavelength/speed/frequency

A

V=fλ

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17
Q

What are 4 properties of a wave

A

Wavelength, Frequency, Amplitude, Period

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18
Q

What is the definition of Wavelength

A

Distance from one point of the wave to the next equivalent point e.g crest→crest

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19
Q

What is the definition of Frequency

A

Number of waves that pass a point in a second.

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20
Q

What is the definition of Amplitude

A

The maximum displacement from the equilibrium position.

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21
Q

What is the definition of Period

A

Time for one complete oscillation/wave to pass a point.

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22
Q

What is the symbol of Wavelength

A

λ

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23
Q

What is the symbol of Frequency

A

f

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24
Q

What is the symbol of Amplitude

A

A

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25
Q

What is the symbol Period

A

T

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26
Q

What is the unit for Wavelength

A

m

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27
Q

What is the unit for Frequency

A

Hz

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28
Q

What is the unit for Amplitude

A

m

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29
Q

What is the unit for Period

A

s

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30
Q

What is the definition, symbol & unit for Wavelength

A

Distance from one point of the wave to the next equivalent point e.g crest→crest. Symbol λ, unit m

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31
Q

What is the definition, symbol & unit for Frequency

A

Number of waves that pass a point in a second. Symbol f, unit Hz

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32
Q

What is the definition, symbol & unit for Amplitude

A

The maximum displacement from the equilibrium position. Symbol A, unit m

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33
Q

What is the definition, symbol & unit for Period

A

Time for one complete oscillation/wave to pass a point. Symbol T, unit s

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34
Q

The higher the frequency the _________ the wavelength

A

shorter

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35
Q

The lower the frequency the ________ the wavelength

A

longer

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36
Q

The shorter the wavelength the _________ the frequency

A

higher

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37
Q

The longer the wavelength the ___________ the frequency

A

lower

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38
Q

What is the smooth reflection of light

A

Even reflection of light reflection is regular

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39
Q

What is the rough reflection of light

A

Irregular reflection or diffuse.

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40
Q

What is the incident ray (plane mirror)

A

The ray that collides with a mirror.

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41
Q

What is the reflected ray (plane mirror)

A

The ray that ‘bounces off’

42
Q

What is the normal (plane mirror)

A

Drawn at 90° to the surface

43
Q

What is the rule for a plane mirror

A

θi=θr (angle of incidence=angle of reflection)

44
Q

What happens to an image in a plane mirror

A

Image is:
Same size, appears same distance from mirror, virtual, laterally inverted.

45
Q

What is refraction of light

A

Happens when light travels from one medium to another, it will either speed up or slow down.

The higher the optical density the slower it travels.

When light passes from a less to more optically dense medium it slows down and refracts towards the normal.

46
Q

What happens to the light ray when it goes from a higher optically dense medium to a lower optically dense medium.

A

The light ray will speed up and bend away from the normal

47
Q

What happens to the light ray when it goes from a lower optically dense medium to a higher optically dense medium.

A

The light ray will slow down and bend towards the normal.

48
Q

What colour light ray has the shortest wavelength

A

Violet

49
Q

What colour light ray has the highest frequency

A

Violet

50
Q

What colour light ray travels slowest in a prism

A

Violet

51
Q

What colour light ray diffracts the most in a prism

A

Violet

52
Q

What colour light ray has the longest wavelength

A

Red

53
Q

What colour light ray has the lowest frequency

A

Red

54
Q

What colour light ray travels fastest in a prism

A

Red

55
Q

What colour light ray diffracts the least

A

Red

56
Q

What is the visible light spectrum

A

ROYGBIV

57
Q

What is the critical angle

A

When Light travels from a medium to a less dense medium, a certain θi will produce a θrefraction of 90°. This θi is the critical angle for this material. If angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle total internal reflection occurs.

58
Q

What wavelength diffracts more

A

A longer wavelength

59
Q

What wavelength diffracts less

A

A shorter wavelength

60
Q

What is diffraction

A

If a travelling wave comes across a barrier (e.g a rock, wall, hill) the wave will continue to bend around the edge of the barrier.

The amount of diffraction that happens depends on the wavelength of the wave.

61
Q

What is the definition of diffraction

A

The bending of a wave around the edge of a barrier is called diffraction.

62
Q

The _____ the wavelength the further it diffracts around the barrier.

A

longer

63
Q

What is light

A

Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation occurs as waves and includes:
Visible light, X-rays, Microwaves, Radiowaves

64
Q

What is reflection

A

If a wave strikes a surface it is reflected, smooth surfaces reflect light evenly (e.g a mirror, calm lake). We call these regular reflectors. Rough surfaces reflect unevenly and give a blurred image (e.g crumpled tin foil, a lake in the wind). We call these diffuse reflectors.

65
Q

What are the 2 rays that come from a mirror when light is reflected into it?

A

The incoming wave is called the incident ray

The wave that comes off the mirror is called the reflected ray.

66
Q

What is the important law about angle of incidence and angle of reflection.

A

The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence= angle of reflection (θi=θr)

67
Q

When is a real image formed

A

A real image is formed when real rays converge (meet).

68
Q

What is a virtual image

A

A virtual image is the image that appears to be formed behind a mirror.

69
Q

What are the qualities of a virtual image

A

A virtual image can only be seen in the mirror.
It can not be reformed/reflected onto a screen.
The image is not ‘real’ since no real light rays from the object reach the position of the virtual image.

70
Q

What is refraction

A

Refraction is the BENDING of light as it crosses the boundary between two transparent mediums.

71
Q

What does every transparent medium have?

A

Every transparent medium has an ‘optical density’ which determines how a light wave changes direction.

72
Q

The more optically dense something is the _________ light will travel through it.

A

slower

73
Q

What changes when light passes through a transparent medium.

A

The speed, wavelength and direction may change.

74
Q

What stays the same when light passes through a transparent medium.

A

The frequency stays the same.

75
Q

What happens to light when it passes from one medium to another?

A

The light ray will either ‘bend’ towardes or ‘bend’ away from the normal.

76
Q

What happens to light when it passes from a less dense medium to a more dense medium

A

It slows down and refracts (bends) towardes the normal

77
Q

What happens to light when it passes from a more dense medium to a less dense medium

A

It speeds up and refracts (bends) away from the normal

78
Q

What are the 2 criteria required for total internal reflection.

A

The incident ray must strike the interface at an angle greater than the critical angle

Light must be travelling from a more optically dense medium to a less optically dense medium. (e.g glass→air or water→air

79
Q

What is dispersion of light

A

The light given off by the sun, or lightbulbs is called white light. White light is made of a whole range (or spectrum) of colours mixed together., We can see this spectrum if we pass white light through a glass prism. The rainbow of colours is called the visible spectrum and contains the colours red, orange, yellow, green , blue, indigo, violet.

80
Q

What is the reason white light splits into the colours of the visible spectrum (when shone through a prism on an angle)

A

Because each colour is refracted at a slightly different amount as it changes mediums. This process is called dispersion.

81
Q

What is the definition of a wave

A

A wave is a disturbance that travels through a medium from one location to another

82
Q

What is a medium

A

A medium is a substance or material that carries the wave.

83
Q

What is the function of a wave

A

The function of a wave is to carry ENERGY from one place to another

84
Q

The energy from a wave moves from one place to another ______ transferring any _____

A

without matter

85
Q

What are the 2 things waves can be

A

Mechanical and electromagnetic

86
Q

What is a mechanical wave

A

These need a substance or medium to travel through e.g water or sound waves

87
Q

What is a electromagnetic wave

A

These DO NOT need a medium to travel through. They can also travel through a vacuum.

88
Q

What is a transverse wave

A

The waves travels at right angles to the movement of the medium. ‘Trans’ means ‘across’ therefore transverse waves oscillate particles 90° to the direction the waves are travelling.

89
Q

What is a longitudinal wave

A

The particles in longitudinal waves vibrate/oscillate parallel to the direction the water is moving.

90
Q

For a transverse wave what does f=?

A

For a transverse wave f= The number of crests (or troughs) that pass a point per second.

91
Q

For a longitudinal wave what does f=?

A

For a longitudinal wave f= The number of compressions (or rarefaction) that pass a point per second.

92
Q

What is the equation for frequency?

A

f=1/T

93
Q

What is the equation for period?

A

T=time taken/# of waves

94
Q

What relationship do period and frequency have?

A

An inversely proportional relationship.

You can use f=1/T OR T=1/f

Period, T= number of seconds per oscillation
Frequency, f= number of oscillations per second

95
Q

The ________ the amplitude the louder the sound

A

higher

96
Q

What is the speed of a wave

A

The speed of a wave is constant in any particular medium, but if the wave travels from one medium to another, the speed changes.

97
Q

What are the 2 formulas for speed?

A

v=d/t & v=fλ

98
Q

What is reflection of sound called

A

Reflection of sound off a hard surface is called an echo.

99
Q

What is diffraction

A

If a travelling wave comes across a barrier the wave will continue to bend around the edge of the barrier.

100
Q

What does the amount of diffraction depend on

A

The amount of diffraction depends on the wavelength of the wave.

101
Q

What happens when a wave diffracts?

A

It stays in the same medium. Therefore the frequency, speed and wavelength do not change.

102
Q

What are the 3 steps of diffraction in a gap

A
  1. Diffraction happens at both edges of a gap, so the wave passing through the gap tends to become more circular in shape.
  2. The bending of the wave is greatest when the width of the gap is about the same as the wavelength of the wave.
  3. Less diffraction occurs when the wavelength is smaller than the gap in the barrier.

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