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GCSE Edexcel Separate Physics > SP4 Waves > Flashcards

SP4 Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What do waves do?

A
  • transfer energy and information
  • without transferring matter
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2
Q

Give an example of how wavesdo not transfer matter

A

When buoys in sea stay still despite waves passing them

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3
Q

How can we describe waves?

A

As oscillations or vibrations around a fixed point

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4
Q

Define Wavelength

A

Distance between the same points on two consecutive waves

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5
Q

Define amplitude

A

Distance from the equilibrium line to the maximum displacement

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6
Q

Define frequency

A

the number of waves that pass a single point per second

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7
Q

Define period

A

Time taken for a whole wave to completely pass a single point

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8
Q

Define wavefront

A

The plane in which the wave travels. ie: the direction of the wave

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9
Q

A diagram shows a duck bobbing up and down on the surface of water as the waves pass below it. Explain how the toy duck demonstrates that waves do not transfer matter

A
  • the plastic duck moves up and down but does not travel with the wave
  • waves transfer energy but not the particles of the medium
  • this means that when a wave travels between two points, no matter actually travels with it, the point on the wave just vibrate back and forth about fixed positions
  • Objects floating on the water simply bob up and down when waves pass under them, demonstrating how there is no movement of matter in the direction of the wave, only energy

- can also describe the type of wave it is: eg: transverse wave

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10
Q

Define rest position

A

The undisturbed position of particles or fields when they are not vibrating

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11
Q

Define displacement

A

The distance that a certain point in the medium has moved from its rest position

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12
Q

**

Define peak

A

the highest point above the rest position

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13
Q

Define trough

A

The lowest point below the rest position

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14
Q

What is the symbol for amplitude and what is its unit?

A
  • symbol: A
  • unit: metres (m)
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15
Q

What is the symbol for wavelength and what is its unit?

A
  • symbol: λ
  • measured in metres (m)
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16
Q

What is the symbol for frequency and what is its unit?

A
  • symbol: f
  • unit: Hertz (Hz)
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17
Q

What is the symbol for time period and what is its unit?

A
  • symbol: T
  • measured in seconds (s)
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18
Q

What is the equation that links frequency and time period together?

A

f = 1/T

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19
Q

What is the equation for wave speed?

A

frequency x wavelength

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20
Q

What is the relationship between frequency and velocity?

A

As frequency increases, velocity increases

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21
Q

What is the relationship between wavelength and velocity?

A

As wavelength increases, so does velocity

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22
Q

What is the relationship between period and frequency?

A
  • period is inversely proportional to frequency
  • so as period increases, frequency decreases, and vice versa
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23
Q

What is the relationship between period, frequency and velocity?

A

period decreases, frequency + velocity increase

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24
Q

Define longitudinal waves

A

vibrations are parallel to the direction of travel

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25
Q

What are the key features of a longitudinal wave and what are their definitions?

A
  • compressions: points of high pressure because particles are close togther
  • rarefactions: points of low pressure because particles are spaced far apart
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26
Q

What mediums can longitudinal waves travel through?

A
  • solids
  • liquids
  • gases
  • not a vacuum
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27
Q

What are some examples of longitudinal waves?

A
  • sound waves
  • seismic P waves
  • pressure waves caused by repeated movements in liquids and gases
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28
Q

Define transverse waves

A

Vibrations are perpendicular to the direction of travel

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29
Q

What mediums can transverse waves travel through?

A
  • solids
  • surfaces of liquids
  • not inside liquids or gas
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30
Q

What mediums can electromagnetic transverse waves travel through?

A
  • solids
  • liquids
  • gases
  • vacuum
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31
Q

What are some examples of transverse waves?

A
  • seismic s waves
  • electromagnetic waves
  • ripples on the surface of water
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32
Q

How do we measure the speed of sound in air?

A

Method 1: Make a noise ~50 m away from a wall and record the time for the echo to be heard. Then substitute the values into s=d/t
Method 2: Have two microphones connected to a datalogger at a large distance apart, and record the time difference between the sound passing from one to another - then use the equation s=d/t

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33
Q

How do we measure the velocity of ripples of water on its surface?

A
  1. Choose a calm flat water surface such as a lake or a swimming pool
  2. Two people stand a few metres apart using a tape measure to measure this distance
  3. One person counts down from three and then disturbs the water surface (using their hand, for example) to create a ripple
  4. The second person then starts a stopwatch to time how long it takes for the first ripple to get to them
  5. The experiment is then repeated 10 times and an average value for the time is calculated
  6. The average time and distance can then be used to calculate the wave speed using the equation: s=d/t
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34
Q

How do we measure wavelength in a transverse wave?

A

From one peak to the next peak
OR
From one trough to the next trough

35
Q

How do we measure wavelength in longitudinal waves?

A

Centre of one compression to the centre of the next

36
Q

What is the speed of sound in air?

A

330m/s

37
Q

What are the four things that can happen to a wave once it hits the boundary?

A
  • refraction
  • reflection
  • absorption
  • transmission
38
Q

When does reflection occur?

A

When a wave hits a boundary between two media and does not pass through, but instead stays in the original medium

39
Q

How does the smoothness of a surface make its ability to reflect vary?

A
  • flat surfaces are the most reflective
  • rough surfaces are the least reflective, because the light scatters in all directions
  • the smoother the surface, the stronger the reflected wave is
40
Q

Describe reflection on opaque surfaces

A
  • will reflect light not absorbed by the material
  • the electrons will absorb the light energy and then reemit it as a reflected wave
41
Q

State the law of reflection

A

angle of incidence = angle of reflection

42
Q

Where are the angle of incidence and reflection measured?

A

Measured between the light ray and the normal

43
Q

Define normal

A

An imaginary line which meets the boundary at right angles

44
Q

When does refraction occur?

A

A wave changes speed at the boundary between two materials of different densities

45
Q

What happens to the wave speed when the medium it is travelling into is denser than the one it is currently in?

A

It decreases, the wave slows down

46
Q

What does the change in speed at the boundary cause?

A

A change in direction

47
Q

What happens to the wavelength of a refracted wave?

A

It decreases

48
Q

Why does the wavelength of a refracted wave decrease?

A

The energy of a wave is constant. Since the energy is directly linked to the frequency of the wave, it means that the frequency also stays constant. So if the frequency is constant and the speed decreases, this means that the wavelength must also decrease

49
Q

When does a wave bend towards the normal?

A

When the wave is going into a denser medium that the one it is currently in, eg: air —> glass

50
Q

When does a wave bend away from the normal?

A

When the wave is travelling into a less dense medium than the one it is currently in. Eg: glass —> air

51
Q

What is the amount the wavelength of a refracted ray changes dependant on?

A

The amount that the direction changes

52
Q

What type of material does transmission usually occur through?

A

Transparent materials. The more transparent, the more light will pass through that material

53
Q

When does transmission occur?

A

When a wave passes through a substance

54
Q

How can a wave action be classified as transmission?

A

The wave must pass through the material and emerge on the other side

55
Q

Why might the transmitted wave have a lower amplitude as compared to before its transmission?

A

When passing through a material, waves are usually partially absorbed, which results in a lower amplitude

56
Q

State some common examples of transmission

A
  • light passing through a window continues with around 95% of its original energy
  • ultrasound scanning a baby pass from the flesh into the bone and continue with enough energy for the machine to detect the echo
57
Q

When does absorption occur?

A

Energy is transferred from the wave into the particles of a substance

58
Q

Describe what happens if the frequency of the light matches the energy levels of the electrons

A
  • light will be absorbed by the electrons and not reemited
  • then reemited over time as heat
  • which indicates that it has been absorbed
59
Q

What does it mean if an object appears red (in terms of absorption and reflection)?

A
  • only red light has been reflected
  • the rest of the colours have been absorbed
60
Q

Why does the wave change direction when it enters a denser medium?

A
  • Different parts of the wave enter at different times, leading to a change in speed.
  • the difference in speed between parts of the wave in the first medium and parts of it in the second medium causes the wave to bend: change in direction
61
Q

Why do materials interact differently with waves?

A
  • depends on wavelength
  • some wavelengths may be transmitted, whereas others may be reflected or absorbed
  • eg: Glass transmits and/or refracts visible light
  • absorbs UV
  • reflects IR
62
Q

Describe how the human ear detects sound

A
  1. Sound waves enter the ear canal
  2. sound wave hits the eardrum, which vibrates at the same frequency as the wave
  3. tiny bones vibrate and amplify the vibrations
  4. vibration of bones transmitted to the fluid in the inner ear
  5. tiny hairs within cochlea detect the vibrations and create electrical impulses
  6. impulses travel along auditory nerve to the brain, giving the sensation of sound
63
Q

Why is a sound wave a pressure wave?

A

The compressions and rarefactions cause changes in pressure, which vary in time with the wave

64
Q

What happens when sound waves hit a solid?

A

The fluctuating pressure causes the solid to vibrate

65
Q

What is a natural frequency?

A

The frequency at which a solid naturally vibrates when a sound wave hits it

66
Q

What causes larger vibrations within solids?

A

When the frequency of a sound wave is similar to the solid’s natural frequency

67
Q

How is the frequency of sound related to pitch?

A
  • high frequency = high pitched
  • low frequency = low pitched
68
Q

How is the amplitude related to the volume of the sound?

A
  • high amplitude = loud sound
  • low amplitude - quiet sound
69
Q

What is the normal human hearing range?

A

20 Hz to 20,000 Hz

70
Q

What does a high frequency correlate to?

A

High energy of the wave

71
Q

Define ultrasound

A

Sounds with a frequency greater than 20,000Hz

72
Q

What are the uses of ultrasound?

A
  • Sonar
  • Foetus Scanning
73
Q

How is ultrasound used in sonar?

A
  1. Ultrasound sent out
  2. Ultrasound is reflected off of the ocean bottom
  3. the time it takes for the echo to return is used to calculate the depth (this is twice the amount, because the ultrasound has to travel there and back)
74
Q

How is ultrasound used in foetal scanning?

A
  1. An ultrasound detector produces and detects a beam of ultrasound waves into the body
  2. The ultrasound waves are reflected back to the detector by different boundaries between tissues in the path of the beam
  3. For example, the boundary between fluid and soft tissue or tissue and bone
75
Q

Why does ultrasound work for foetal scanning?

A
  • the waves partially reflect at each boundary
  • so can be used to work out distances
  • and therefore an image of the foetus
76
Q

Define infrasound

A

sounds with a frequency lower than 20Hz

77
Q

What are the two types of seismic waves?

A

P waves and S waves

78
Q

What are seismic waves?

A

Waves produced by earthquakes

79
Q

What type of waves are P waves?

A

Longitudinal

80
Q

What types of waves are S waves?

A

Transverse wave

81
Q

Which type of seismic wave can be detected on the other side of an Earthquake and why?

A

P waves, because they are longitudinal waves and therefore can travel through solids and liquids, whereas S waves are transverse, and they only travel through solids

82
Q

What are the two main discoveries made due to seismic waves?

A
  1. On the opposite side of the Earth to an earthquake, only P-waves are detected, not S-waves, this suggests:
    - The mantle is solid – this is because both types of wave can pass through it
    - The outer core of the Earth is liquid – hence no S-waves can penetrate it
  2. Refractions between layers cause two shadow zones, where no P-waves are detected, this suggests:
    The inner core is solid – this is due to the size and positions of these shadow zones which indicate large refraction taking place
83
Q

Define shadow zone

A

Area on the Earth’s surface where P waves nor S waves can be detected

GCSE Edexcel Separate Physics (18 decks)

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