S3 Wave Parameters and Behaviours Flashcards
What do waves transfer?
Energy
What are the two types of waves?
Transverse and Longitudinal
In transverse waves, how do particles vibrate?
Perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
In longitudinal waves, how do particles vibrate?
Parallel to the direction of energy transfer.
Give an example of longitudinal waves.
Sound waves.
What is wavelength and its symbol?
The distance from a point on a wave to the same point on the next wave (e.g. crest to crest). Symbol: λ (lambda).
What is amplitude and its symbol?
The height of the wave from the centre line to a crest or trough. Symbol: A.
What does amplitude represent?
The energy of the wave.
What is frequency and its symbol?
The number of waves produced (or passing a point) in one second. Symbol: f.
What unit is frequency measured in?
Hertz (Hz).
What is the formula to calculate period (T)?
T = 1/f.
What is wave speed (v)?
The distance the wave travels in one second.
What unit is wave speed measured in?
Metres per second (m/s).
What is the speed of sound in air?
340 m/s.
What is echolocation used for?
To find out how far away an object is.
What does SONAR stand for?
Sound Navigation and Ranging.
What is the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength?
v = f λ
What is diffraction?
The spreading out of waves when they go past a barrier or through a gap.
How does wavelength affect diffraction?
Waves with longer wavelengths spread out further around barriers.
What happens to the speed, wavelength, and frequency of a wave when it is diffracted?
They do not change.
What is the speed of light in air or a vacuum?
300,000,000 m/s or 3 × 10^8 m/s.
How do sound waves travel through different media?
They require a medium and travel faster in solids and liquids than in gases.
Fill in the blank: The speed of sound in water is _______.
1500 m/s.
What is the formula to calculate total distance traveled by a sound pulse?
d = vt.
