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Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What do waves transfer from one point to another?

A

Energy

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2
Q

In which direction do longitudinal waves travel?

A

The direction of wave travel.

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3
Q

In which direction do transverse waves move?

A

Perpendicular to the direction of energy travel

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4
Q

What does the amount of energy transferred in a wave depend on?

A

The amplitude of the wave

-The greater the amplitude, the greater energy transferred

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5
Q

What is the equation for the displacement of a wave travelling from left to right?

A

y = Asin2π(f t −x/λ)

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6
Q

What is the equation for the displacement of a wave travelling from right to left?

A

y = Asin2π(f t + x/λ)

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7
Q

What is meant by the phase difference of a wave?

A

A measure of how much one wave lags behind another, or one point lags behind another on the same wave.

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8
Q

What is a phase difference of one wavelength equal to?

A

2π radians

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9
Q

What is a phase difference of a half wavelength equal to?

A

π radians

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10
Q

How are stationary waves formed?

A

The constructive interference of two waves, of the same frequency and amplitude, travelling in opposite directions.

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11
Q

What are formed by the interference of waves?

A

Nodes with zero amplitude, and antinodes in between with max amplitude.

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12
Q

What is an example of where stationary waves are used?

A

Musical instruments - to produce different notes

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13
Q

Sketch the first harmonic mode of oscillation (Waves)

A

Remember:

Half a wavelength

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14
Q

Sketch the second harmonic mode of oscillation (Waves)

A

Remember: One wavelength

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15
Q

Sketch the third harmonic mode of oscillation (Waves)

A

Remember: One and a half wavelength

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16
Q

Sketch the fourth harmonic mode of oscillation (Waves)

A

Remember: Two waves

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17
Q

When does interference occur? (Waves)

A

When coherent waves overlap.

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18
Q

When are two waves determined as coherent?

A

If they have the same frequency, wavelength and speed

Or

If they have a constant phase relationship.

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19
Q

When are two waves determined as ‘in phase’?

A

When the crest of one matches up with the crest of the other

or trough of one matches up with trough of other

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20
Q

When are two waves said to be ‘out of phase’?

A

When the crest of one matches up with the trough of the other.

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21
Q

When are waves also said to be coherent

A

When they have a constant phase difference.

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22
Q

What is constructive interference? (Waves)

A

When two waves of equal amplitude meet in phase, and combine to form a wave of twice the amplitude.

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23
Q

What is destructive interference? (Waves)

A

When two waves of equal amplitude meet out of phase, and combine to form a wave of zero amplitude.

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24
Q

What are the two ways to produce an interference pattern for light. (Waves)

A
  • Division of Amplitude

- Division of Wavefront

25
Q

What are examples of division of amplitude? (Waves)

A
  • Interference produced by thin films
  • Coated Camera Lenses
  • Thin wedge interference
26
Q

What is an example of division of wavefront?

A

Young’s double slit experiment

27
Q

What is produced when path difference = mλ (Waves)

A

A maximum (constructive interference)

28
Q

What is produced when path difference = (m+1/2)λ (Waves)

A

A minimum (destructive interference)

29
Q

What happens when a wave passes through a medium such as glass?

A

Its wavelength decreases due to refraction.

30
Q

What is meant by optical path difference (opd)? (Waves)

A

The difference between two optical path lengths.

31
Q

What phase change does a wave undergo when travelling in a less dense medium and reflects from an interface with a more dense medium?

A

π radians

32
Q

What phase change does a wave undergo when travelling in a more dense medium and reflecting from an interface with a less dense medium?

A

No phase change.

33
Q

When will a coherent source of waves produce constructive interference?

A

When opd is equivalent to whole number of wavelengths

34
Q

When will a coherent source of waves produce destructive interference?

A

When the waves are completely out of phase.

35
Q

What will happen to liquids that are less dense than water? (Waves)

A

They will form a thin film on the water surface.

36
Q

What is the equation for destructive interference within a thin film? (Waves)

A

2nfilmd = (m+1/2)λ

37
Q

What does the colour of the reflected light from a thin film depend on? (Waves)

A

Which wavelengths produce interference, which in turn depends on the thickness of the film, d.

38
Q

What is meant by the blooming of lenses? (Waves)

A

Special coating placed on expensive camera/binocular lenses to ensure maximum light is transmitted through them.

39
Q

Which type of interference occurs during the blooming of lenses? (Waves)

A

Destructive interference

40
Q

What does complete cancellation happen for during the blooming of lenses? (Waves)

A

One particular wavelength only

-Partial cancellation occurs for other wavelengths

41
Q

Where does the incident light reflect from during thin wedge interference? (Waves)

A

The inside surface of each glass sheet.

42
Q

Why will the ray reflected from the upper glass sheet not undergo a phase change in thin wedge interference? (Waves)

A

It is travelling from a medium with a high refractive index (glass) into one with a lower refractive index (air).

43
Q

Why will the ray reflected from the lower glass sheet undergo a phase change during thin wedge interference? (Waves)

A

It is travelling from a medium with a low refractive index (air) into one with a higher refractive index (glass).

44
Q

What happens when a thin wedge is observed through a travelling microscope with a monochromatic light source? (Waves)

A

A series of interference fringes are produced.

45
Q

What are interference fringes? (Waves)

A

Successive areas of constructive and destructive interference as the optical path difference increases.

46
Q

What can the fringes produced inside the air wedge be used to determine? (Waves)

A

The diameter of the support at the end.

47
Q

What is polarisation? (Waves)

A

An effect most commonly observed when using polarising lens in sunglasses which reduces the glare from reflective surfaces such as water or glass.

48
Q

In which direction will electric field oscillations travel for light which is not polarised? (Waves)

A

Every plane perpendicular to its travel

(The vectors vibrate in all directions).

49
Q

Where will electric field oscillations occur when light is polarised? (Waves)

A

Only one plane

50
Q

What is the equation for initial and final energies and amplitudes of a wave?

A

E1 / A1^2 = E2 / A2^2

51
Q

What is the equation for optical path difference? (Waves)

A

opd = n x gpd

52
Q

What is the use of a polarising filter (polariser) (Waves)

A

To allow light to pass through in one plane only.

53
Q

What happens if a second polariser (analyser) is placed in front of the the polariser? (Waves)

A

It will block the light totally if rotated through 90° relative to the polarised light.

54
Q

Which waves can polarisation not be produced with? (Waves)

A

Longitudinal waves

55
Q

When can polarisation also be produced? (Waves)

A

When light is reflected from an electrical insulator such as glass or water.

56
Q

What is Brewster’s angle? (Waves)

A

The angle of incidence which causes the reflected light to be fully plane-polarised.

OR

It is the angle of incidence at which the angle between the reflected and refracted rays is 90 degrees.

57
Q

Derive an expression for Refractive Index (Waves)

A

n = sin(theta1) / sin(theta2)

n = sin (ip) / sin r

n = sin (ip) / sin (90 - ip)

n = sin (ip) / cos (ip)

n = tan (ip)

58
Q

What is the equation for constructive interference within a thin film? (Waves)

A

2nfilmd = m λ

advanced higher physics (7 decks)

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