waves Flashcards
what do waves transfer?
energy, not matter.
what is an oscillation?
to move back and forth in a regular pattern.
what are the two types of waves?
transverse and longitudinal.
what are longitudinal waves?
longitudinal waves have oscillations that are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.
what are transverse waves?
transverse waves have oscillations that are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
give an example of a transverse wave.
light.
can light travel through a vacuum (empty space). why?/why not?
light waves are able to travel through a vacuum because they do not need particles in order to travel.
the _________ the __________ of a wave, the _______ __________ it carries.
the bigger the amplitude of a wave, the more energy it carries.
REMEMBER!
a light wave with a larger amplitude would be brighter than a light wave with a smaller amplitude.
a sound wave with a larger amplitude would be louder than a sound wave with a smaller amplitude.
what is frequency? (+ equation)
the frequency of a wave is the number of waves that pass a certain point in one second. the unit of frequency is hertz (Hz).
Frequency (Hz) =
number of waves/time taken
the ________ the wavelength of a wave, the higher the frequency. the _______ the wavelength of a wave, the lower the frequency.
shorter, longer
what happens when light hits an object?
the colour of the object is reflected and the rest of the colours are absorbed.
what is reflection?
reflection is when waves bounce off a surface.
what is the difference between diffuse reflection and specular reflection?
diffuse reflection is when reflected light is scattered in all directions meaning an image won’t form whereas specular reflection occurs off a smooth flat surface and will form an image.
what is refraction?
refraction occurs when a wave is transmitted but it enters at an angle so it’s direction changes.
