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Year 10 Physics > P12 Wave Properties > Flashcards

P12 Wave Properties Flashcards

1
Q

What is a wave?

A

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy through matter or space.

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2
Q

What are the two main types of waves?

A

Mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves.

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3
Q

True or False: Waves require a medium to travel through.

A

True for mechanical waves.

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4
Q

What is the medium in a mechanical wave?

A

The substance through which the wave travels, such as air, water, or solid materials.

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5
Q

What is frequency?

A

The number of complete waves that pass a given point per second.

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6
Q

What is the unit of frequency?

A

Hertz (Hz).

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7
Q

What is wavelength?

A

The distance between two consecutive points in phase on a wave.

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8
Q

What is the formula for wave speed?

A

Wave speed = frequency × wavelength.

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9
Q

What is amplitude?

A

The maximum displacement of points on a wave from its rest position.

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10
Q

True or False: Higher amplitude means more energy carried by the wave.

A

True.

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11
Q

What is a transverse wave?

A

A wave where the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of wave travel.

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12
Q

What is a longitudinal wave?

A

A wave where the oscillations are parallel to the direction of wave travel.

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13
Q

What is a compression in a longitudinal wave?

A

A region where particles are closer together.

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14
Q

What is a rarefaction in a longitudinal wave?

A

A region where particles are further apart.

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15
Q

What type of waves are sound waves?

A

Longitudinal waves.

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16
Q

What is the speed of sound in air at room temperature (approximately)?

A

About 343 meters per second.

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17
Q

What is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?

A

They are inversely proportional; as frequency increases, wavelength decreases.

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18
Q

What does the term ‘reflection’ refer to in waves?

A

The bouncing back of a wave when it hits a barrier.

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19
Q

What is refraction?

A

The bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another.

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20
Q

What is diffraction?

A

The spreading out of waves when they pass through a narrow opening or around obstacles.

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21
Q

What is constructive interference?

A

When two waves meet and combine to make a larger amplitude wave.

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22
Q

What is destructive interference?

A

When two waves meet and combine to make a smaller amplitude wave or cancel each other out.

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23
Q

What is a standing wave?

A

A wave that remains in a constant position, formed by the interference of two waves traveling in opposite directions.

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24
Q

What is the principle of superposition?

A

When two or more waves overlap, the resulting displacement is the sum of the individual displacements.

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25
What is a wavefront?
A surface over which an oscillation has a constant phase.
26
What is the Doppler effect?
The change in frequency or wavelength of a wave in relation to an observer moving relative to the wave source.
27
How does the Doppler effect affect sound waves as a source moves toward an observer?
The frequency increases (pitch sounds higher).
28
How does the Doppler effect affect sound waves as a source moves away from an observer?
The frequency decreases (pitch sounds lower).
29
What is a medium's density's effect on the speed of sound?
Sound travels faster in denser media.
30
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.
31
What are the different types of electromagnetic waves, from longest to shortest wavelength?
Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays.
32
What is the speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
Approximately 3 × 10^8 meters per second.
33
What is a photon?
A particle representing a quantum of light or electromagnetic radiation.
34
What is the relationship between energy and frequency of electromagnetic waves?
Energy is directly proportional to frequency; higher frequency means higher energy.
35
What is the formula for calculating the energy of a photon?
Energy = Planck's constant × frequency.
36
What is the visible spectrum?
The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye.
37
What colors make up the visible spectrum?
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
38
True or False: White light is a combination of all colors of visible light.
True.
39
What is a convex lens?
A lens that is thicker in the center than at the edges and converges light rays.
40
What is a concave lens?
A lens that is thinner in the center than at the edges and diverges light rays.
41
What is total internal reflection?
The complete reflection of a light ray back into a medium when it hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle.
42
What is the critical angle?
The angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs.
43
What is sound intensity?
The power per unit area carried by a sound wave.
44
What is the decibel scale used for?
To measure the intensity of sound.
45
What is the threshold of hearing in decibels?
0 dB.
46
What is the threshold of pain in decibels?
Approximately 120 dB.
47
What is resonance?
The amplification of a wave when it matches the natural frequency of an object.
48
What is the term for the bouncing back of light when it hits a reflective surface?
Reflection.
49
What is the law of reflection?
The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
50
What is a wave's period?
The time it takes for one complete wave to pass a given point.
51
What is the unit of period?
Seconds (s).
52
What is the relationship between frequency and period?
Frequency is the reciprocal of the period; frequency = 1/period.
53
What is a wave's speed when given frequency and wavelength?
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength.
54
What is the effect of temperature on the speed of sound in air?
The speed of sound increases with an increase in temperature.
55
What is a sound wave's compression?
A region in a longitudinal wave where particles are close together.
56
What is a sound wave's rarefaction?
A region in a longitudinal wave where particles are spread apart.
57
What is the frequency range of human hearing?
Approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz).
58
True or False: Sound travels faster in solids than in liquids.
True.
59
What is the formula for calculating wave speed?
Wave speed = frequency × wavelength.
60
What is the term for the ability of a wave to bend around obstacles?
Diffraction.
61
What is the phenomenon called when waves combine to form a new wave?
Interference.
62
What is an example of a transverse wave?
Light waves.
63
What is an example of a longitudinal wave?
Sound waves.
64
What happens to the wavelength of a wave when it moves from a less dense to a more dense medium?
The wavelength decreases.
65
What is the effect of a wave hitting a boundary at an angle?
It will refract and change direction.
66
What is a wave's energy directly related to?
Its amplitude and frequency.
67
What happens to the frequency of a wave when the wavelength increases?
The frequency decreases.
68
What is the term for the point of maximum displacement in a wave?
Crest.
69
What is the term for the point of minimum displacement in a wave?
Trough.
70
What is the effect of increasing the frequency of a sound wave?
It increases the pitch.
71
What is the phenomenon of light bending as it passes through different mediums?
Refraction.

Year 10 Physics (17 decks)

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