Physics Properties of waves 4.1 - 4.5

Question 1

What do waves transfer

Answer 1

Waves transfer energy from one point to another

Question 2

Do waves carry matter? (Yes, no)

Answer 2

No

Question 3

What is the tip of a wave called?

Answer 3

Crest

Question 4

What is the bottom of a wave called?

Answer 4

Trough

Question 5

What is the displacement from equilibrium on a wave graph to the tip of a wave called?

Answer 5

Amplitude

Question 6

What is frequency and what is it measured in?

Answer 6

Frequency is the number of complete oscillations per second measured in hertz

Question 7

What is a wavelength?

Answer 7

The distance from crest to crest or trough to trough

Question 8

What are the two formulas for waves and what are the units measured in?

Answer 8

f = 1/f
v = wavelength * frequency where frequency is measured in hertz, t is time measured in seconds, wavelength is measured in meters, and v is wave speed measured in meters per second

Question 9

What direction does a longitudinal wave travel with respect to its direction of energy transfer?

Answer 9

It travels parallel to the direction of energy transfer

Question 10

What direction does a transverse wave travel with respect to its direction of energy transfer?

Answer 10

It travels perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

Question 11

What is reflection

Answer 11

Reflection is the bouncing back of light after it hits a surface

Question 12

What are the two types of reflection

Answer 12

Specular and diffuse or scattered reflection

Question 13

What is specular reflection

Answer 13

Specular reflection is when the boundary or surface that the light ray hits is smooth and can provide a clear image

Question 14

What is diffuse or scattered reflection

Answer 14

Diffuse or scattered reflection is when the boundary or surface that light hits is bumpy and the image provided can’t be seen properly or is blurry

Question 15

When light hits a surface at an angle of 45 degrees, what will be the angle of reflection and why

Answer 15

45 degrees because the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection

Question 16

What happens to a light ray when it enters a denser medium?

Answer 16

it gets bent towards the normal of the surface of the denser medium

Question 17

What happens to a light ray when it exits a denser medium into a less dense medium?

Answer 17

It bends away from the normal

Question 18

Which color bends the least from the normal as it emerges from a dense medium?

Answer 18

Red

Question 19

Which color bends the most from the normal as it emerges from a dense medium?

Answer 19

Violet

Question 20

Which color has the longest wavelength and the lowest energy

Answer 20

Red

Question 21

Which color has the shortest wavelength and the highest energy

Answer 21

Violet

Question 22

What is refractive index

Answer 22

Refractive index is a measure of the speed of light in a medium compared to the speed of light in a vacuum like ratios

Question 23

Is refractive index directly proportional to the density of the medium (yes or no)

Answer 23

Yes

Question 24

What is the refractive index of a vacuum

Answer 24

1

Question 24

Is the refractive index of glass higher than that of a vacuum? (Yes or no)

Answer 24

Yes

Question 25

What is a critical angle

Answer 25

A critical angle is the angle of incidence for which the angle of refraction is 90 degrees

Question 26

What affects the magnitude of the critical angle?

Answer 26

Refractive index

Question 27

What is the angle of refraction for the following: (you don’t have to give exact measurements)
i = incidence
c = critical angle

When i = c
when i > c
when i < c

Answer 27

90 degrees
Total internal reflection
angle less than 90 degrees

Question 28

What is total internal reflection?

Answer 28

Total internal reflection is when the incident light ray gets reflected back into the medium

Question 29

What are the three formulas for refractive index?

Answer 29

n = 1/sin c
n = speed of light in vacuum / speed of light in medium
n = sin i / sin r

Where c = critical angle, i = angle of incidence, r = angle of refraction