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IGCSE Physics G10 > Properties of waves, including sound and light > Flashcards

Properties of waves, including sound and light Flashcards

1
Q

What is a ‘Ripple tank’ [2]

A

Shallow glass-bottomed tank containing a small amount of water. Light from above, shining through the water creating a shadow of the ripples on the floor below, showing the pattern in which the ripples form

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2
Q

Ripples are produced by… [1]

A

by something that moves up and down (vertically, usually wooden bars) but the ripples move out horizontally

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3
Q

define ‘waves’ [1]

A

Disturbance in medium that transports energy and momentum

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4
Q

define ‘wavelength’ [1]

A

distance from one crest to another or from one trough to another, measures in metres

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5
Q

define ‘Amplitude’ (A) [1]

A

The maximum distance that the surface of the water is displaced from its undisturbed level (or) the height of the crest (M)

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6
Q

define ‘Frequency’ (f) [1]

A

The number of waves per second passing a point. (Hz)

1Hz=1 wave or ripple per second

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7
Q

define ‘Period’ (T) [1]

A

A wave is the time taken for one complete wave to pass a point. (s) crest to crest

F=1/T or T=1/f

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8
Q

what is wave speed? [1]

A

The speed at which it transfers energy from one place to another.

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9
Q

what are transverse waves? [1]

A

Waves in which particles carrying the wave move from side to side, perpendicular to the direction in which the wave is moving (E.g. light)

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10
Q

what are longnitude waves? [1]

A

Waves in which the particles carrying the wave back and forth, along the direction in which the wave is moving (E.g. sound)

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11
Q

what is compression? [1]

A

areas of the sound waves where the air particles are closer together and the air is dense

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12
Q

what is ‘rarefaction’? [1]

A

areas of the sound wave where the particles are farther from each other and the density of the air is less

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13
Q

Mechanical waves need… [1]

A

a medium

(non-mechanical do not)

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14
Q

When waves enter on medium from another… [1]

A

The wavelength and velocity keep changing but the frequency remains constant

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15
Q

what is a wavefront [1]

A

a surface containing points affected the same way by a wave in a given time. The separation of the wavefronts of the ripples is equal to their wavelength

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16
Q

Refraction occurs when… [1]

A

The speed of light changes when it is travelling from one medium to another

17
Q

Diffraction occurs when… [1]

A

ripples in the water encounter a slit/opening in a barrier and they spread out into the space beyond the barrier. When the width of the gap is equal to the wavelength, diffraction is the greatest

18
Q

What is the speed of sound in air? [1]

A

33m/s or 1200 km/h

travels 1 km in 3s

19
Q

what is an echo? [1]

A

Reflection of sound when it hits a hard surface and reflects

20
Q

a higher pitch is due to… [1]

A

a higher frequency

21
Q

define ‘sound’ [1]

A

vibrations that travel through air and other mediums and are produced by vibrating objects

22
Q

what is the speed of light? [1]

A

3 * 10^8 m/s

23
Q

Reflection occurs when… [1]

A

a Light ray strikes a shiny surface and bounces back in a straight line. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection

24
Q

what is considered a real image? [1]

A

the image which can be captured/formed on a screen

25
Q

what is considered a virtual image? [1]

A

an image which can’t be caught/captured on a screen

26
Q

an object reflected on a plane mirror is… [4]

A

The same size as the object, left-right inverted,
virtual,
same distance behind mirror as object is in front

27
Q

Refraction is.. [3]

A

bending of light rays when they enter one medium from another, due to change in speed.

2 laws:
1. incident ray, ratio of sin of angle of incidence to sin of angle of refraction is constant for a pair of media

  1. If light is perpendicular (90 degrees) to the medium it is entering, refraction doesn’t take place
28
Q

what is a refractive index? [1]

A

the quantity that tells us by how much light slows down while entering a particular media.

29
Q

n = [2]

A

n = speed of light in vacuum (3*10^8) / speed of light in the material

30
Q

what is Snells law? [1]

A

sin of angle of incidence with the angle of refraction and also the refractive index, because as the refractive index increases, so does the ray’s bending.

31
Q

what is a critical angle?

A

the angle of incidence in the denser medium for when angle of refraction is 90 degrees or more

32
Q

what is the principal axis? [1]

A

horizontal line passing through the centre of the lens

33
Q
A

IGCSE Physics G10 (1 decks)

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