Light, Sound, and Waves Flashcards
how does sound travel?
sound travels in compression waves
does sound travel faster or slower than light?
sound travels much slower than light
what does a sound need to travel?
a sound needs a medium to travel through. (solid, liquid, gas)
in a compression wave, which direction does matter vibrate?
matter vibrates in the same direction in which the wave travels
what are the three characteristics waves exhibit?
wavelength, frequency, and amplitude
what happens to frequency when a wavelength increases?
Frequency decreases as wavelength increases
what two things does the speed of sound depend on?
- ) the medium through which the wave travels
2. ) the temperature of the medium
what is resonance?
The tendency of a system to vibrate at maximum amplitude at certain frequencies
a compression wave is also known as?
a longitudinal wave
a compression (longitudinal) wave consists of a repeating pattern of ____________ ___ _____________.
compressions and rarefractions
how is wavelength measured?
measured as the distance from one compression to the next compression or the distance between two rarefractions
what kind of patterns are used in ultrasonic technology? (sonar and medical diagnosis)
reflection and interference patterns
what is visible light?
A form of radiant energy that moves in transverse waves
what characteristics do transverse waves exhibit?
wavelength, crest, trough, frequency, and amplitude
there is a ___________ relationship between frequency and wavelength.
inverse
