Properties of Waves

Question 1

What is the difference between longitudinal waves and transverse waves.

Answer 1

• In longitudinal waves, the direction of propagation is parallel to the direction of vibration
• In transverse waves, the direction of vibration is perpendicular to the direction of propagation

Question 2

What are waves

Answer 2

Waves are a way of transferring energy from one place to another WITHOUT transferring any matter

Question 3

What is a wavefront

Answer 3

This is a line that is created by overlapping many waves.

A wavefront is a place where all the vibrations are in phase and are the same distance from the source of the wave.

Question 4

What is the amplitude of a wave.

Answer 4

This is the maximum the particles will move from its resting position.

Question 5

What is the wavelength

Answer 5

This is the distance between one point of a wave and the same point on the next wave.

Question 6

What is the frequency

Answer 6

This is the number of waves that are passing every second.

Question 7

What is the law of reflection

Answer 7

The Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Question 8

How does Refraction occur

Answer 8

The waves travel slower in water than in air. Therefore, it causes the light to change direction as it leaves the water. This change in direction is called refraction and it makes the object look bent.

Question 9

What is the doppler effect?

Answer 9

When an object is stationary and is making a sound, the wavelengths of the sound wave are equally spaced in all directions.

But once the object starts moving, the wavelengths of the sound waves in the direction the object is moving become more compressed and the wavelengths of the sound waves in the opposite direction become larger,