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Physics 20 > Mechanical waves > Flashcards

Mechanical waves Flashcards

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1
Q

what are waves?

A

waves are:

energy carriers

That move energy over certain distances which results in individual particle vibrations

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2
Q

What are the types of waves?

A

Mechanical:
Requires a medium to travel through
Ex: sound, water, springs

Electromagnetic:
Require no medium
Can travel through empty space
Ex: Light, radio waves

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3
Q

What is a pulse? and what are the two different types of pulses?

A

A wave pulse is a disturbance that moves through a medium.

There is a positive wave pulse (upward curve)

and a negative wave pulse (downward curve)

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4
Q

What is a transverse wave?

A

A transverse wave is where particles in the medium vibrate perpendicular to the wave propagation

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5
Q

what is the amplitude of a transverse wave?

A

The amplitude refers to the maximum distance from the equilibrium

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6
Q

what is the wavelength of a transverse wave?

A

The horizontal distance between two adjacent crests or adjacent troughs

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7
Q

what is the period of a transverse wave?

A

The time it takes the energy to travel one wavelength

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8
Q

What is the frequency of a transverse wave?

A

The number of wavelengths that occur in one second

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9
Q

what are longitudinal waves?

A

particles in the medium that vibrate parallel to the direction the wave propagates

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10
Q

What is compression in a longitudinal wave?

A

It is the area where the medium is most dense

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11
Q

What is rarefaction in a longitudinal wave?

A

It is the area where the medium is least dense

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12
Q

What are the two different types of phases?

A

In phase:
Different waves vibrate together
Points on a wave are separated by one or multiple wavelengths

Out of phase:
Different waves do not vibrate together
Points on a wave are not separated by one or multiple wavelengths

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13
Q

What happens to the speed and wavelength of a wave after entering:

a slower medium?

and a faster medium?

A

For a slower medium, the speed and wavelength decrease

For a faster medium, the speed and wavelength increase

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14
Q

Does frequency change?

A

The frequency of a wave does not change when a wave transfers into a different medium

The frequency is solely determined by the source of the wave

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15
Q

What happens when a pulse meets a boundary?

A

When a pulse on a string meets a boundary, some or all of the wave energy will be reflected

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16
Q

What happens when a pulse meets a fixed boundary?

A

The incident pulse meets the boundary and the reflected pulse is inverted (out of phase).

17
Q

What happens when a pulse meets a free boundary?

A

The incident pulse meets the boundary and the reflected pulse is upright in the opposite direction (in phase)

18
Q

What does Transmission mean?

A

when a pulse moves from one spring to another it undergoes transmission

which results in the energy to be:
reflected back through the original spring
transmitted through the other spring

19
Q

What happens to the reflected pulse when a pulse moves from a slow to a fast medium?

A

The reflected pulse is upright

20
Q

What happens when to the reflected pulse when a pulse moves from a fast to a slow medium?

A

The reflected pulse becomes inverted

21
Q

What happens in wave interference?

A

When two waves in opposite directions meet:

They will pass through one another
They will superimpose (amplitudes combine) and interfere

22
Q

what is constructive interference?

A

The waves meet in phase

The sum of the two waves produce a larger waveform

23
Q

What is Destructive Interference?

A

The waves meet out of phase

The sum cancels the waves out

24
Q

What does a Wave Front Diagram show?

A

It shows:
The crests
The troughs
The wave propagation

25
Q

What does a Wave Ray Diagram show?

A

It only shows the direction of wave propagation

26
Q

What does the Law of Reflection state?

A

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection

27
Q

What is Refraction?

A

When a wave enters a region where the medium changes

The Wavelength and Speed change
The Frequency does not change

28
Q

What happens when a wave ray bends towards the normal line?

A

it slows down

29
Q

What happens when a wave ray bends away from the normal line?

A

it speeds up

30
Q

what does the FAST acronym mean?

A 
When going into:
Faster medium
Away from the normal line
Slower medium
Towards the normal line
31
Q

what does Snell’s Law do?

A

It relates the:
angle of incidence
angle of refraction
speeds and wavelengths in each medium

Physics 20 (1 decks)

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