Topic 3 Waves

Question 1

explain the difference between transverse and longitudinal waves

Answer 1

Transverse Waves: where the vibrations in the wave are at a right angle to the direction the wave travels. Longitudinal waves: where the vibrations of the wave are parallel to the direction the wave travels.

Question 2

what is the defintion of amplitude

Answer 2

amplitude is the maximum distance a vibrating particle moves from its equilibrium position.

Question 3

What is definiton of wavelength, time period and frequency.

Answer 3

Wavelength: Distance between 2 compressions.
Time period: The time it takes for a particle to make one complete ocilation.
Frequency: The number of ocillations made by a particle in one second.

Question 4

Waves transfer energy with/without transferring matter.

Answer 4

without

Question 5

What is the equation linking frequency and time period

Answer 5

f=1/t

Question 6

What is the equation linking speed, frequency and wave length

Answer 6

wave speed = frequency x wavelength
or
v=f x λ

Question 7

What is the definiton of refraction

Answer 7

when waves change speed they change direction

Question 8

What is the definiton of reflection

Answer 8

when light bounces off an even surface

Question 9

What is the equation that shows the relationship between the refractive index and and the angle of incidence and refraction

Answer 9

n=sin i/ sin r

Question 10

What is the critical angle

Answer 10

this is the angle of incidence at which the angle of refraction is 90 degrees sin c= 1/n

Question 11

What is total internal reflection

Answer 11

when a ray of light passes from a more optically dense medium to a less optically dense medium the majority of light is refracted but a small porportion is reflected if the angle of incidense is increases further all the light will be reflected from the boundary