P1.5

Question 1

What is frequency?

Answer 1

The number of waves passing a point each second.

Question 2

What is amplitude?

Answer 2

The maximum height of the wave measured from the middle.

Question 3

What is a wavelength?

Answer 3

Shortest distance between two coherent points on a wave (distance from peak to peak).

Question 4

What is an oscillation?

Answer 4

An oscillation is a vibration.

Question 5

Descibe the properties of a tranverse wave.

Answer 5

In transverse waves, the oscillations (vibrations) are at right angles to the direction of travel and energy transfer

Question 6

Describe the properties of a longitudinal wave.

Answer 6

In longitudinal waves, the oscillations are along the same direction as the direction of travel and energy transfer.

Question 7

Describe properties of electromagnetic waves.

Answer 7

Electromagnetic waves carry transverse vibrations in electrical and magnetic fields, not vibrating particles.
Electromagnetic waves do not need matter to travel through - they can travel through empty space (a vacuum). They travel at the speed of light.

Question 8

What are the waves in the electromagnetic spectrum?

Answer 8

Radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays.

Question 9

Give an example of a radio wave.

Answer 9

Radio.

Question 10

Give an example of a microwave.

Answer 10

Microwave.

Question 11

Give an example of an infrared wave.

Answer 11

Remote control.

Question 12

Give an example of visble light.

Answer 12

Seeing things.

Question 13

Give an example of an ultraviolet wave.

Answer 13

Security pen.

Question 14

Give an example of an xray wave.

Answer 14

X-ray.

Question 15

Give an example of a gamma ray.

Answer 15

Used to kill cancer cells.

Question 16

What is the law of reflection?

Answer 16

Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection

Question 17

What is diffraction?

Answer 17

It is when the waves spread out to some extent into the area beyond the gap.

Question 18

What is the dopler effect?

Answer 18

The apparent change in the frequency of a wave caused by the relative motion of the source of the wave to the observer.

Question 19

What is red shift?

Answer 19

When an object away from us appears red but an oject moving towards us appears blue. it happens when light or other elctromagneits radiation is increased or shifted at the red end of the spectrum.

Question 20

What is the big bang theory?

Answer 20

The universe had a definite start from a very small dense point. It is constantly changing.

Question 21

Give a use of an electromagnetic wave in communication.

Answer 21

Microwave radiation can also be used to transmit signals such as mobile phone calls or radio waves are used to transmit television and radio programmes. Television uses higher frequencies than radio.

Question 22

What are the properties of sound waves?

Answer 22

Sound waves are longitudinal waves. Their vibrations occur in the same direction as the direction of travel. Sound waves can only travel through a solid, liquid or gas.