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Physics > Waves > Flashcards

Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of transverse waves?

A

transverse waves are waves that vibrate or oscillate perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer/motion.

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2
Q

Give an example of a transverse wave.

A

Examples include ripples on the surface of water, vibrations in a guitar string, S-waves, and electromagnetic waves.

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3
Q

Define longitudinal waves.

A

Longitudinal waves are waves that vibrate parallel to the direction of energy transfer/motion.

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4
Q

Provide an example of a longitudinal wave.

A

Sound waves, P-waves, and pressure waves caused by repeated movements in a liquid or gas

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5
Q

What is amplitude?

A

Amplitude is the distance from the equilibrium position to the maximum displacement.

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6
Q

Explain the Doppler effect.

A
  • The Doppler effect is the apparent change in wavelength and frequency of a wave emitted by a moving source.
  • It results in compression and stretching of wavefronts.
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7
Q

What is the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength?

A

v=f×λ

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8
Q

List the order of the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of decreasing wavelength and increasing frequency.

A

Radio Waves, Microwaves, Infrared, Visible light, Ultraviolet, X-Rays, Gamma Rays.

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9
Q

Explain the detrimental effects of excessive exposure to ultraviolet waves.

A

Ultraviolet waves can cause eye damage, sunburn, and skin cancer. Protective measures include using good quality sunglasses and sunscreen.

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10
Q

What is the critical angle?

A

the angle of incidence that produces an angle of refraction of 90 degrees, leading to total internal reflection.

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11
Q

Describe the properties of transverse waves

A
  • Transverse waves involve vibration perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.
  • Energy transfer occurs in the same direction as wave motion, and particles of the medium don’t transfer energy.
  • Examples include ripples on water and electromagnetic waves.
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12
Q

How can the Doppler effect be observed in the context of a moving car?

A
  • When a car is moving, sound wavefronts at the front of the vehicle appear squashed together, creating a shorter wavelength and higher frequency.
  • Behind the car, wavefronts appear stretched out, resulting in a longer wavelength and lower frequency.
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13
Q

State the relationship between refractive index, angle of incidence and angle of refraction.

A

n = sin i/sin r

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14
Q

State two uses of total internal reflection.

A
  • optical fibres for communication
  • in endoscopes
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15
Q

State the equation linking critical angle and refractive index

A

Sin c = 1/index angle

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16
Q

Explain what is meant by the term refraction.

A

Refraction is the change of direction of a wave as it changes from a less dense medium to a more dense medium

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17
Q

Explain why the ray of light is refracted towards the normal

A
  • Wavelength is shorter in glass
  • Speed slower in glass
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18
Q

Explain why rays of light inside a diamond are more likely to be totally internally reflected than those inside an opal

A
  • Larger refractive index meaning that the c is smaller
  • TIR happens when i>c
  • diamond therefore has a larger range of angles for TIR
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19
Q

Explain what is happening to the light in the glass fibre

A
  • Light reflects inside the surface of the fibre
  • with angle i > critical angle
  • light is traveling slower in glass
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20
Q

State a similarity and difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave

A

Similarity: They both vibrate

Difference: longitudinal waves vibrate parallel to the direction of travel, whereas, transverse waves vibrate perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer

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21
Q

Suggest two differences between ultrasound waves and ultraviolet waves

A
  • Ultraviolet waves have a much higher frequency than ultrasound waves
  • Ultrasound waves are slower than ultraviolet waves
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22
Q

State two similarities between visible, light infrared, and ultraviolet

A
  • they all transfer energy
  • They are all transverse waves
23
Q

What is meant by the term wavelength?

A

Distance between two points on a wave

24
Q

State a property of waves that is the same for radio waves and X-rays

A

They are electromagnetic

25
Q

State two properties of waves that are different for radio waves and X-rays

A
  • Frequency
  • wavelength
26
Q

What does monochromatic mean?

A

All the waves in a beam must have the same frequency only.

27
Q

Which radiation has a higher frequency than red light?

A

Ultraviolet/UV

28
Q

Dangers and uses of Radio waves?

A

USES: Radio and television communications

DANGERS: NONE

29
Q

Dangers and Uses of Microwaves?

A

USES: Satellite communications and Heating food

Dangers: Can Cause internal heating of body tissues/organs

30
Q

Dangers and uses of Infrared radiation/infrared waves?

A

USES: Heating and to monitor temperature/night vision equipment

Dangers: Skin Burns

31
Q

Dangers and uses of visible light waves?

A

USES: Communications using optical fibres and photography

Dangers: Bright light can cause eye damage.

32
Q

Dangers and uses of Ultraviolet/UV waves?

A

USES: Fluorescent lamps

Dangers: Eye damage, sunburn, and skin cancer.

33
Q

Dangers and uses of X-ray waves?

A

USES: Medical imaging and security

Dangers: Kills cells, Mutations, and cancer

34
Q

Dangers and uses of Gamma radiation waves?

A

USES: Sterilizing medical equipment and Sterilizing food

Dangers: Cell mutation, tissue damage, and cancer

35
Q

Suggest one advantage of using gamma rays to sterilize medical instruments instead of boiling them.

A
  • Gamma rays are used to sterilize medical instruments by killing all microbes.
36
Q

Explain why gamma rays are more dangerous to humans than visible light.

A
  • Gamma rays are ionizing so they can cause tissue damage and cancer.
  • They carry more energy than visible light, so their potential for damage is higher.
37
Q

Which region of the spectrum has the most energy?

A

Gamma rays

38
Q

Which region of the spectrum is used in remote controls for televisions?

A

Infrared

39
Q

Which region of the spectrum can be used to kill cancer cells?

A

Gamma rays

40
Q

Which region of the spectrum is used to make fluorescent inks glow?

A

Ultraviolet rays/radiation

41
Q

Which color of visible light in the spectrum has the highest frequency?

A

Violet

42
Q

Which color of visible light in the spectrum has the longest wavelength?

A

Red

43
Q

A student investigates how the angle of refraction varies with the angle of incidence when light enters a glass block.

Describe how the student should perform this investigation.

A
  • Measure the angle of incidence
  • Measure the angle of refraction
  • Repeat for different angles of incidence
  • Measure angles to the normal
44
Q

The student concludes that angle Y is directly proportional to angle X.

Explain what the student must do to test this conclusion in more detail.

A
  • repeat
  • find different angles
  • find for larger angles
45
Q

State why the ray of light does not change direction when it enters the glass at A.

A

At right angles to the surface

46
Q

State why the bulbs of the thermometers are painted black.

A

black is the best absorber of heat

47
Q

Describe conclusions that can be made from the student’s results.

A
  • The temperature is the greatest at the end of the spectrum/beyond red
  • There is radiation beyond the red
48
Q

State why the students put the four thermometers together in the shade before placing them in the spectrum of sunlight.

A

To check the temperature under the same conditions

49
Q

give three differences between radio and sound waves

A
  • Radio waves travel faster than sound waves
  • Radio waves are transverse waves and sound are longitudinal
  • Sound waves need to travel in a medium and radio waves don’t.
50
Q

Describe how the tuning fork causes a sound wave to travel through the air.

A
  • Longitudinal waves are made
  • transfers kinetic energy into the air
51
Q

Please explain why the dentist has to leave the room before taking the X-ray image but it is safe for the patient to stay in the room

A
  • X-rays are ionizing
  • Dentists should not be exposed to X-rays for long periods of time as this is very common for them and they do this every day
52
Q

Explain why all these waves take the same time to travel to Earth from the Sun.

A
  • They are all transverse waves
  • They travel with the same speed in a vacuum
53
Q

Describe an investigation to measure the speed of air

A
  • Measure 100m on the ground by using the trundle wheel
  • Two people must stay 100m away from each other.
  • Person A makes a loud sound by hitting the wooden blocks, and Person B starts the stopwatch when he sees Person A hitting the wooden blocks.
  • Stop the stopwatch once student B hears the sound
  • Repeat several times to get an average
  • Use the equation, s = d/t to find the speed of sound in air.

Physics (6 decks)

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