P5.1 Flashcards
What is amplitude?
Symbol and unit
Distance from the middle to the top (crest) or bottom (trough) of a wave β> the bigger the amplitude, the more energy that the wave carries
A
depends on wave (m/volts)
What is wavelength
Symbol and unit
Distance from one point on a wave to the same point on the next wave β> the bigger the wavelength, the smaller the frequency
Ξ» (Lambda)
Metres(m)
What is frequency?
Symbol and unit
Itβs the number of waves/ oscillations per second
F
Hertz,Hz
What is the time period
The time for one wave to pass a given point of time taken to produce one wave
T
Seconds (s) - 1 /Hz (frequency)
What is a wave
Itβs an oscillation/ physical phenomenon that transfers energy
Itβs a disturbance in a medium that transfers energy without transferring matter - always in motion so the wave diagrams should be imagined moving from left to right
What type of waves are used to communicate between two phones
Electromagnetic waves
Donβt need a medium to travel through
What type of waves are sound and water
They are mechanical waves and they need a medium (matter) to travel through
What are longitudinal waves
- The oscillations are parallel to the energy transfer (direction of vibration of individual air molecules is the same way as the direction of the wave)
- it consists of rarefactions and compressions
- e.g. = sound waves or P waves = can travel through liquids
What are compressions and rarefactions?
Compressions are particles squashed together = high pressure and PEAKS
Rarefactions are particles spread apart = low pressure and TROUGHS
- the Hz of longitudinal waves is the no. of compressions passing a point per second
What are transverse waves
- the oscillations are perpendicular to the energy transfer (the direction of vibrations is at right angles to the direction of travel of the wave)
- has a peak/ crust (top of the wave) and has a trough (bottom of the wave)
- e.g. light/ EM waves/ S waves
What is the normal line
Itβs the position of a particle about which the wave vibrates / oscillates
What does the time trace of a wave show
It shows how the displacement varies with time at a particular position
What does the snapshot of a wave show
It shows how the displacement varies with distance at a particular time
How can you give evidence that the wave travels and not the water or the air?
You can use ripples on water to model transverse waves and you can show how waves are reflected
- surface of the wave moves up and down as the wave moves through the water
- by putting a small cork on the surface you can see that the wave travels but not the water
Same thing happens for sound waves but the wave moves from your mouth but the air doesnβt
How can you calculate wave velocity?
wave velocity (m/s) = frequency (Hz) x wavelength (m)
unit of frequency is the number of waves per second so:
Hz = 1/s
1 KHz in Hz
1000 Hz
What type of waves are ripples on a tank used to model
Transverse waves
What types of waves are sound waves in the air
Longitudinal waves
How can generate a sound with a specific frequency and find the wavelength of the sound waves generated?
- attach signal generator to a speaker
- use 2 microphones and an oscilloscope to find the wavelength of the sound waves generated
How do you use an oscilloscope to measure the speed of sound?
- Set up oscilloscopes so that detached waves at each microphone are show as separate waves
- start= both microphone next to speaker = then slowly move one away until the two waves that aligned on the display but have moved exactly 1 wavelength apart
- measure distance between microphones to find one wavelength
- use v= fΞ» to find speed (v) of sound waves passing air
- the frequency is what you set the signal generator to in the first place
How can you generate waves in a ripple tank?
- use a signal generator attached to a dipper
- signal generator moves dipper up and down = creates water waves at fixed frequencies
What does the trace of a transverse wave on the screen of an oscilloscope show
It shows the variation of pressure of time (not the sound wave itself)
How do you measure the frequency in a ripple tank?
- need cork and stopwatch
- float cork in wave = bobs up and down as wave passes it
- when cork is top of wave(Bob) start stopwatch
- count how many bobs in certain time (30 secs)
- divide the number by your time interval (bobs /30) = bobs per second = frequency in Hz
Keep amplitude of wave, position of dipper and depth of water same = fair test and do three repeats on average
How do you measure the wavelength in a ripple tank?
- use strobe light
- place card covered with cm squared paper behind ripple tank
- turn on stove light and adjust frequency until waves appear to freeze
- using the squared paper measure distance that five waves cover and divide distance by no of waves = average Ξ»
Keep amplitude of wave, position of dipper and depth of water same = fair test and do three repeats on average
How do you measure the velocity or wave speed in a ripple tank?
- need pencil and stopwatch
- place paper next to tank
- as waves move across tank = track path of one of the crests in the water on paper with pencil (use ruler)
- another person should time how long the first has been drawing for (pick time to stop e.g. 10 secs)
- length of line = speed x time
Keep amplitude of wave, position of dipper and depth of water same = fair test and do three repeats on average
How do you measure the velocity of ripples with without doing the practical?
- find wavelength (by using a flashing light (a strobe) and a ruler)
- fine frequency (number of rotations of the motor per second)
- use the calculator to work out the wave velocity