P12 Wave properties

Question 1

What can waves be used for?

Answer 1

To transfer energy and information

Question 2

Give an example of a transverse wave

Answer 2

Water wave

Question 3

Describe the shape of a transverse wave

Answer 3

The direction of the vibration of the particles is perpendicular to the direction in which the wave is travelling

Question 4

Give an example of a longitudinal wave

Answer 4

Sound wave

Question 5

Describe the shape of a longitudinal wave

Answer 5

The direction of the vibration of the particles is parallel to the direction in which the wave is travelling

Question 6

What do mechanical waves travel through?

Answer 6

They travel through a medium

Question 7

What are two examples of a mechanical wave?

Answer 7

Waves on springs and sound waves

Question 8

What do electromagnetic waves travel through?

Answer 8

They can travel through a vacuum

Question 9

What are two examples of a electromagnetic wave?

Answer 9

Light and radio waves

Question 10

Are electromagnetic waves transverse or longitudinal?

Answer 10

Transverse

Question 11

Are mechanical waves transverse or longitudinal?

Answer 11

Can be either

Question 12

What is the amplitude of a wave?

Answer 12

The height of the wave crest from the midpoint of the wave

Question 13

What is the wavelength of a wave?

Answer 13

Distance from one crest to the next crest

Question 14

What is the frequency of a wave?

Answer 14

The number or wave crests that pass a point in one second

Question 15

What is the period of a wave?

Answer 15

The time it takes for one wavelength to pass a point

Question 16

What is the equation for the period of a wave?

Answer 16

Period of a wave = 1/frequency

Question 17

What is the equation for wave speed?

Answer 17

Wave speed (m/s) = frequency (Hz) x wavelength (m)

Question 18

What are incident waves?

Answer 18

Waves travelling towards a border or boundary

Question 19

What is refraction?

Answer 19

When waves change speed or wavelength when they cross a boundary between different substances

Question 20

Can sound waves travel through a vacuum?

Answer 20

No

Question 21

Are sound waves longitudinal or transverse?

Answer 21

Longitudinal

Question 22

How are echos produced?

Answer 22

When sound waves are reflected from a hard, flat surface

Question 23

What is the range of human hearing?

Answer 23

20Hz to 20KHz

Question 24

Why can humans not hear ultrasound waves?

Answer 24

Because they have a frequency of above 20KHz

Question 25

Why are ultrasound waves safer than X-ray waves?

Answer 25

Because they are non ionising

Question 26

How do ultrasounds work?

Answer 26

Ultrasound waves are partly reflected at a boundary between two different types of body tissue , these are timed and the timings are used to calculate distances

Question 27

What are seismic waves?

Answer 27

Waves that travel through the earth

Question 28

What are primary seismic waves (P-waves)?

Answer 28

They are longitudinal waves that cause the initial tremors, they refract at the boundary between the mantle and core

Question 29

What are secondary seismic waves (S-waves)?

Answer 29

They are transverse waves that cause tremors after the first minute, they travel slower than P-waves and cannot travel through the liquid core of the earth

Question 30

What are long waves (L-waves)?

Answer 30

They travel more slowly then P and S waves and only travel in the Earths crust. They arrive last and cause violent movement of the Earths crust