P5.1 Wave Behaviour Flashcards
What is a wave?
A regular disturbance that transfers energy in the direction the wave is travelling without transferring matter.
What are the two types of wave?
- Transverse
2. Longitudinal
What is a transverse wave?
A wave which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
What is a longitudinal wave?
A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.
Give two examples of transverse waves.
- Electromagnetic waves
2. Seismic s-waves
Give two examples of longnitudinal waves.
- Sound waves
2. Seismic p-waves
What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called?
Compressions and rarefactions.
What is a wave’s amplitude?
The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position.
What is a wavelength?
- the distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave.
- Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough.
What is the frequency of a wave?
The number of waves that pass a given point each second.
What is the unit used for frequency?
Hertz, Hz
What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz?
200 waves pass a given point each second.
What is wave speed?
The speed at which energy is transferred through a medium.
What does a wave transfer?
Energy.
what word is used to descibe when a wave bounces off a surface?
Reflection
What is refraction?
Refraction is the change in speed of a wave as it reaches a boundary between two media, resulting in a change in direction.
What property of a wave is not changed by refraction?
The frequency
When entering a denser material, light waves….
slow down and bend towards the normal.
What is a ripple tank?
A shallow glass tank with an oscillating paddle/needle to create waves. It is illuminated from above so the waves can be seen on the surface below the tank.
