Light and Waves

Question 1

Where does light travel fastest?

Answer 1

Outer space

Question 2

How is wave speed calculated?

Answer 2

Frequency multiplied by the wavelength

Question 3

What does the symbol lambda mean?

Answer 3

The wavelength

Question 4

How is frequency calculated?

Answer 4

Wave speed divided by the wavelength

Question 5

How is wavelength calculated?

Answer 5

Wave speed divided by the frequency

Question 6

What does the fact that light can be polarised mean?

Answer 6

It can be modelled as a transverse wave

Question 7

Which waves have the shortest wavelengths?

Answer 7

Radio waves

Question 8

What does the brightness of a light source depend on?

Answer 8

The amplitude of the electromagnetic wave

Question 9

What is the angle of incidence equal to?

Answer 9

The angle of reflection

Question 10

What can waves travel through?

Answer 10

Air, liquid, gas and space

Question 11

Which waves require a medium?

Answer 11

Mechanical waves require a medium, non-mechanical waves do not

Question 12

What does wave motion transfer?

Answer 12

Energy from one point to another with no transfer of the material of the medium

Question 13

What are sections that are pushed together in longitudinal waves called?

Answer 13

Compressions

Question 14

What are sections that are stretched out in longitudinal waves called?

Answer 14

Rarefactions

Question 15

What are high points of a transverse wave known as?

Answer 15

Crests

Question 16

What are low points of a transverse wave known as?

Answer 16

Troughs

Question 17

What happens when light enters a more optically dense medium?

Answer 17

It slows down and bends towards the normal

Question 18

What happens when light enters a less optically dense medium?

Answer 18

It speeds up and bends away from the normal

Question 19

What is the order of mediums, from least optically dense to most?

Answer 19

Gas, Liquid, Solid

Question 20

What is dispersion?

Answer 20

The process responsible for the spectrum that emerges from a triangular prism and led to Newton’s understanding and observation of colour

Question 21

What happens when the angle of incidence is increased?

Answer 21

The refracted ray bends further away from the normal

Question 22

What is total internal reflection?

Answer 22

When the angle is greater than the critical angle and there is no refracted ray, instead the whole ray is reflected

Question 23

What is the relationship between light and the perspex block?

Answer 23

When light enters the block it bends towards the normal and when it leaves the block it bends away from the normal`

Question 24

What are waves?

Answer 24

An oscillation that travels through space or matter, accompanied by a transfer of energy

Question 25

What is an example of a mechanical and longitudinal wave?

Answer 25

Sound

Question 26

What is an example of a non-mechanical wave?

Answer 26

Electromagnetic radiation

Question 27

What is an example of a transverse wave?

Answer 27

An ocean wave

Question 28

How do particles in longitudinal waves vibrate?

Answer 28

Back and forth, the direction of their movement is parallel to the direction of the wave

Question 29

How do particles in transverse waves vibrate?

Answer 29

Up and down or left and right, the direction of their movement is perpendicular to the direction of the wave