P6 Waves Flashcards
What’s the two types of waves
Transverse and longitudinal 
What do waves do
Transfer energy from one place to another
What a transverse waves
Waves with oscillations perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
What are longitudinal waves
Where the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer and require a median to travel through 
What is meant by the term amplitude
The maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its undisturbed position
What is meant by the term wavelength
The distance from a point on one wave to the equivalent point on the adjacent wave
What is frequency
The number of waves passing a point each second
What is 1 Hz equivalent to
One wave per second
What is meant by the term period
The time taken for one wave to pass a point
What is wave speed
The speed at which the wave moves through a medium
What is the first step to measure the speed of sound waves in air
Person B starts timing when they see person A clashes the cymbals together
What is step two in measuring the speed of sound waves in air
Person B stops timing when they hear the sound of the cymbals clashing
What is step three in measuring the speed of sound waves in air
Calculate the speed of sound waves by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken
How can the accuracy of an experiment be improved
By completing multiple readings to create a mean result and by removing anomalous results
What causes a microphone to vibrate (S)
The particles hitting the cone
How does sound travel through the human ear (s)
The sound waves funnel through the air where they hit the eardrum which is a thin membrane. The sound waves cause the eardrum and other parts to vibrate which causes the sensation of sound
What’s the condition that allows soundwaves in the air to trigger vibrations in solids (s)
Through the limited range of frequencies which is around 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz for humans
What happens when waves change medium (s)
The speed can change
Does the frequency change when the medium changes (s)
No
What instrument allows soundwaves to be viewed (s)
A cathode ray oscilloscope 
What is the pitch at a high frequency (s)
High pitch 
At a low frequency what is the pitch (s)
Low pitch
What does a small amplitude produce (s)
A quiet sound
What does a large amplitude produce (s)
Loud sound