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GCSE Physics > Waves > Flashcards

Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the two types of waves?

A

transverse and longitudinal

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2
Q

What is a transverse wave?

A

A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

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3
Q

What is a longitudinal wave?

A

A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

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4
Q

Give two example of transverse waves

A

Electromagnetic waves and seismic s-waves

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5
Q

Give two examples of longitudinal waves

A

sound waves and seismic P waves

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6
Q

What are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called?

A

compressions and rarefactions

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7
Q

What is a wave’s amplitude?

A

The maximum displacement of a point on the wave from its undisturbed position

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8
Q

What is wavelength?

A

the distance from any point on a wave to an identical point on the next wave (peak to peak or trough to trough)

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9
Q

What is the frequency of a wave?

A

number of waves per given second

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10
Q

What is the unit used for frequency?

A

Hertz (Hz)

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11
Q

What is meant by frequency of 200Hz?

A

200 waves pass a given point each second.

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12
Q

What is wave speed?

A

The speed at which energy is being transferred or the speed at which the wave is moving at

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13
Q

What does a wave transfer?

A

energy

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14
Q

State the equation used to calculate wave speed

A

Wave speed (m/s) = frequency (Hz) x wavelength (m)

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15
Q

What is reflection?

A

when light bounces off an object

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16
Q

How do sound waves travel through a solid?

A

The particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material.

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17
Q

What is the frequency range of human hearing?

A

20-20,000 Hz

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18
Q

What are ultrasound waves?

A

Waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing (20kHz).

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19
Q

Give an example use for ultrasound waves?

A

Medical or industrial imaging

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20
Q

What natural event causes seismic waves to be produced? What types are produced?

A

● Earthquakes
● They produce both P-waves and S-waves

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21
Q

State a difference between the mediums that P-waves and S-waves can travel through

A

● P-waves travel through both solids and liquids
● S-waves only travel through solids (not liquids)

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22
Q

What technique is used to detect objects in deep water and measure water depth?

A

● Echo sounding
● High frequency sound waves are emitted, reflected and detected
● Time difference between emission and detection, alongside wave speed, are used to calculate distances

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23
Q

What type of spectrum do electromagnetic waves form?

A

continuous spectrum

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24
Q

Order the types of electromagnetic radiation from lowest to highest frequency

A

radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays

25
Q

How do the speeds of EM radiation differ in a vacuum and in air?

A

Electromagnetic waves all travel at the same speed in a vacuum and in air.

26
Q

What property of waves in different mediums causes refraction?

A

● Velocity
● Wave speed is slower in denser materials, causing refraction

27
Q

In which direction (relative to the normal) do waves refract when entering a denser medium?

A

● They bend towards the normal
● The angle of refraction is less than the angle of incidence

28
Q

What type of wave can be produced by oscillations in an electrical circuit?

A

radio waves

29
Q

How can radio waves create an alternating current in a circuit?

A

When radio waves are absorbed, they can induce oscillations in a circuit with the same frequency as the waves themselves.

30
Q

Where do gamma rays originate from?

A

They originate from changes in the nuclei of atoms.

31
Q

What health effects can ultraviolet waves cause?

A
  • They can cause the skin to age prematurely
  • They can increase the risk of developing skin cancer
32
Q

What health effects can X-rays and Gamma rays cause?

A

● They are ionising radiation so can cause mutations in genes
● They can lead to increased risk of developing various cancers

33
Q

Give three practical uses for infrared radiation.

A

electrical heaters, cooking food, infrared cameras

34
Q

Give two practical uses for microwave radiation.

A

satellite communications, cooking food

35
Q

Give two practical uses for radio waves.

A

Television transmission
Radio transmission

36
Q

What wave phenomenon is used by lenses to form an image?

A

refraction

37
Q

How does a convex lens form an image?

A

Parallel rays of light are refracted and brought together at a point known as the principal focus.

38
Q

What is meant by the focal length of a lens?

A

The distance from the lens to the principal focus

39
Q

What is the difference between the image produced by a convex and a concave lens?

A
  • Convex lenses can produce real or virtual images
  • Concave lenses can only produce virtual images
40
Q

Why does magnification not have a unit?

A

● It is the ratio between image height and object height
● Ratios do not require units

41
Q

What determines the colour of visible light waves?

A

The wavelength and frequency of the light waves.

42
Q

What colour of visible light has the highest frequency?

A

blue

43
Q

What colour of visible light has the largest wavelength?

A

Red

44
Q

What is meant by the term ‘specular reflection’?

A

Reflection from a smooth surface in a single direction.

45
Q

What is meant by the term ‘diffuse reflection’?

A

Reflection from a rough surface which causes scattering.

46
Q

How does a red colour filter work?

A
  • A red filter absorbs all wavelengths of light except the red range of the spectrum.
  • This means only red light passes through the filter.
47
Q

What determines the colour of an opaque object?

A

● Different objects reflect different wavelengths of light by different amounts
● The wavelengths that are most strongly reflected determine the colour

48
Q

What happens to the wavelengths of light that aren’t reflected by an opaque object?

A

Any wavelength that aren’t reflected are absorbed by the object

49
Q

What colour does an object appear if all wavelengths are reflected by equal amounts?

A

White

50
Q

What colour does an object appear if all wavelengths are absorbed?

A

Black

51
Q

What do all bodies (objects) emit and absorb?

A

infrared radiation

52
Q

What happens to the quantity infrared radiation emitted by an object as temperature increases?

A

The hotter the object, the more infrared radiation it will emit.

53
Q

What is a perfect black body?

A

An object that absorbs all of the radiation that hits it - no radiation is reflected or transmitted
Best possible emitters of radiation

54
Q

How much radiation does a perfect black body reflect or transmit?

A

None

55
Q

Why is a perfect black body the best possible emitter of radiation?

A

● It is a perfect absorber since it absorbs all radiation incident on it
● A perfect absorber is also a perfect emitter

56
Q

Other than the intensity of radiation emitted, how does increasing the temperature of an object affect its emissions?

A

The wavelength distribution of any emission is dependent on the object’s temperature.

57
Q

What can be said about the rates of emission and absorption for a body at constant temperature?

A

The body is absorbing and emitting radiation at the same rate.

58
Q

What can be said about the rates of emission and absorption for a body increasing in temperature?

A

The body is absorbing radiation faster than it is emitting it.

59
Q

Give two factors that affect the temperature of the Earth.

A
  • the Earth’s rate of absorption and emission of radiation
  • the amount of reflection of radiation into space

GCSE Physics (8 decks)

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