Topic 6 - Waves Flashcards
What are waves
waves transfer energy from one place to another without transferring any matter
what is the amplitude
the maximum displacement from its undisturbed postion
what is the wavelength
the distance between the same point of the two adjacent waves
what is the frequency
the number of complete waves passing a certain point per second. measured in Hz
what types of waves are there
either transverse or longitudinal
How to find the period of a wave
period (s) = 1 / Frequency (Hz)
what are transverse waves
a transverse wave is when the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
what are longitudinal waves
a longitudinal wave is when the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
wave speed equation
wave speed (m/s) = frequency (Hz) X wavelength (m)
how are waves absorbed
it is absorbed by second material. the wave transfers energy to material stores such as thermal, which heats second material. used for microwaves
how are waves transmitted
wave is transmitted through the second material. wave carries on traveling through new material which leads to refraction. used for communication
how are waves reflected
wave is reflected and is neither absorbed nor transmitted but sent back from second material. how echoes work
order of EM waves
radio - micro - infra red - visable light - untra violet - x-ray - gamma rays
what is refraction
when waves change direction at a boundary
what happens if a wave crosses a boundary
if it crosses a boundary between two materials the speed changes
