Wave Types and their Characteristics

Question 1

What is a coast?

Answer 1

Where the land meets the sea.

Question 2

What is a wave?

Answer 2

A long body of water curling into an arched form which breaks on the shore.

Question 3

What is the first step of a wave formation?

Answer 3

Where the wind blows over the sea.

Question 4

What is the second step of a wave formation?

Answer 4

The wind causes friction on the surface of the water.

Question 5

What is the third step of a wave formation?

Answer 5

The friction on the sea forms ripples on the water, which develop into waves.

Question 6

What is swash?

Answer 6

Water travelling towards the beach at an oblique angle, in the direction of the prevailing wind.

Question 7

What is backwash?

Answer 7

Water travelling back towards the sea at 90°, due to the gravitational pull.

Question 8

What is a wave crest?

Answer 8

The top of the wave.

Question 9

What is the wave trough?

Answer 9

The bottom of the wave?

Question 10

What is the wave period?

Answer 10

The time between wave crests.

Question 11

What type of orbit do waves have?

Answer 11

Circular orbit.

Question 12

Why does the circular orbit become elliptical?

Answer 12

Due to shore friction slowing down the base of the wave.

Question 13

Does the breaking wave gain or lose height?

Answer 13

It will gain height.

Question 14

Does the upper layer of air sink or gain height?

Answer 14

The upper layer of air sinks.

Question 15

What is the wave length?

Answer 15

The distance between crests.

Question 16

What is the height and energy of a wave dependent on?

Answer 16

The wind speed, wind duration and the fetch.

Question 17

What is the fetch?

Answer 17

The longer the fetch (distance the wave has travelled), the bigger the wave.

Question 18

What is the wind duration?

Answer 18

The longer the wind has blown the bigger the wave.

Question 19

What is wind speed?

Answer 19

The faster the wind the bigger the wave.

Question 20

Why does the sea bed act as a source of friction?

Answer 20

It is very rough.

Question 21

Why does the South East Coast of the British Isles have large waves?

Answer 21

As the waves have a large wave fetch as they have travelled for a long time.

Question 22

What is the wave frequency of a constructive wave?

Answer 22

8-10 waves per minute.

Question 23

What is the swash and backwash of a constructive wave?

Answer 23

Strong swash, weak backwash.

Question 24

What is the wave frequency of a destructive wave?

Answer 24

10-14 waves per minute.

Question 25

What two types of wave are there?

Answer 25

Destructive and constructive.

Question 26

What is the wave height of a constructive wave?

Answer 26

Under 1 metre.

Question 27

What is the wave height of a destructive wave?

Answer 27

Over 1 metre.

Question 28

What is the swash and backwash of a destructive wave?

Answer 28

Strong backwash, weak swash.