Quiz Flashcards
What causes waves to refract?
When a wave enters a new medium at an angle, one side of the wave changes speed before the other side, causing the wave to bend.
What is interference?
Interference is the interaction between two waves that meet.
What is constructive interference?
When two waves combine to make a bigger wave.
What is destructive interference?
When two waves combine to make a wave with smaller amplitude.
If the crest of a wave has an amplitude of 3 meters interferes with a trough of a wave with an amplitude of 1 meter, what will the resulting wave look like?
3 meters - 1 meter = 2 meter wave amplitude
What is a standing wave?
A wave that appears to stand in one place, even though it is really two waves interfering as they pass through each other.
What is resonance?
An increase in the amplitude of a vibration that occurs when external vibrations match and objects natural frequency
What is diffraction?
When a wave moves around a barrier or through an opening in a barrier, it bends and spreads out.
What is reflection?
When an object or a wave hits a surface through which it cannot pass, it bounces back.
What is the law of reflection?
The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
What is the amplitude of a wave?
The maximum distance that the particles of the medium carrying the wave
What is the wavelength of a wave?
The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave.
How do you calculate the speed of a wave?
Speed=Wavelength*Frequency
What is the unit for measuring frequency?
Hertz
Why do you see lightning before you hear the sound of thunder?
This happens because light waves travel much faster than sound waves.
