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Physics > Waves > Flashcards

Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What happens when light hits a shiny surface?

A

It reflects.

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2
Q

When light being reflected is drawn what is the “i” and “r”

A

i = angle of incidence
r = angle of reflection

these are drawn between the ray and the normal

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3
Q

when light being reflected is drawn where is the “normal” drawn

A

The normal is drawn as a dashed at 90 degrees to the surface

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4
Q

State the law of reflection

A

Angle of incidence = angle of reflection

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5
Q

What are the three primary colours of light

A

red, blue and green

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6
Q

What is made when all three primary colours of light are mixed

A

they make white

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7
Q

What are the secondary colours of light

A

Magenta (red +blue)
Yellow (Red + green)
Cyan (Green +blue)

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8
Q

What happens when light moves from one material (medium) to another

A

the speed of the light changes

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9
Q

What happens when light travels from air to glass?

A

the light slows down and its wavelength decreases. on ray diagrams it moves towards the normal.

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10
Q

What happens when light moves from glass to air?

A

the speed of the light and the wavelength of the light increase. On ray diagrams it moves away from the normal.

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11
Q

What is the term for the change in speed of a wave when it moves from one material (medium) to another?

A

The change is speed is referred to as refraction

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12
Q

In addition to the change in speed what does refraction usually cause?

A

a change in direction of the wave

(This does not always happen)

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13
Q

When drawing a ray diagram the normal is …

A

drawn at 90 degrees to the surface where the ray enters the material

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14
Q

When drawing a ray diagram the angle of incidence is …

A

measured between the incident ray and the normal

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15
Q

When drawing a ray diagram the angle of refraction is…

A

measured between the refracted ray and the normal

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16
Q

What happens when all three primary colours mix together

A

they make white light

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17
Q

What are the two types of lenses

A

leses are one of the main uses of refraction

Convex
Concave

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18
Q

What are lenses used for

A

Used in glasses to correct vision

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19
Q

What is the order of the colours of light. In order of wavelength

A

Shortest, Refracts least

Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet

Longest. Refracts most

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20
Q

What do waves transfer

A

Waves transfer energy

This could in the form of light energy, sound energy, heat energy or kinetic energy.

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21
Q

What is the crest/peak of a wave

A

The highest point of the wave

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22
Q

What is the trough of a wave

A

The lowest point of the wave

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23
Q

What is the amplitude of a wave

A

Half of the total height of the wave

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24
Q

What is wavelength

A

The wavelength of wave is the length of one wave.​

Wavelength is measured in metres (m).

Wave length is given the symbol lambda λ

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25
Q

What are the two types of wave

A

Transverse wave
Longitudinal wave

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26
Q

What is a transverse wave

A

A transverse wave is one in which the vibrations occur at 90° to the direction of the wave.

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27
Q

What are some examples of a transverse wave

A

Water waves, light, all electromagnetic radiation​

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28
Q

What is a longitudinal wave

A

A longitudinal wave is one in which the vibrations are in the same direction as the wave travel.

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29
Q

What is an example of a longitudinal wave

A

Sound waves

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30
Q

What is the frequency of a wave

A

Frequency of a wave is the number of waves per second.

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31
Q

What is the formula for frequence

A

f = N/t

where:
f = frequency measured in hertz (Hz)
N = number of waves
t = time measured in seconds (s)

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32
Q

What is the period of a wave

A

The period of a wave is the time taken for one wave to pass.

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33
Q

What is the formula for period of a wave

A

f = 1/T

Where:
f = frequence measured in hertz (Hz)
T = period of a wave measured in seconds (s)

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34
Q

How do you calculate wave speed

A

often waves can be treated as a regular object:

d = vt
where:
d = distance measured in metres (m)
v = speed measured in metres per second (ms^-1)
t = time measured in seconds (s)

however sometimes the wave equation has to be used:

v = f λ

where:
v = speed measured in metres per second (ms^-1)
f = frequency measured in hertz (Hz)
λ = wavelength measured in metres (m)

35
Q

What is wave speed

A

The rate at which waves transfer energy from one place to another.

36
Q

All EM waves travel at what speed?

A

Speed of light (3x10^8 ms^-1)

37
Q

All waves can do what 3 things

A

Reflect
Refract
Defract

38
Q

Describe diffraction

A

When a wave passes through a gap about the same size as its wavelength, it will spread out.​

​
The same can happen if a wave passes around an objects.​

This is known as diffraction.

(the spreading out of waves when they go through a gap, or past the edge of a barrier.)

39
Q

What effects diffraction and how

A

Longer wavelengths diffract more than shorter wavelengths. Smaller gaps cause more diffraction than larger gaps.

40
Q

How is sound made

A

In order for sounds to be made, something needs to be vibrating

41
Q

What type of wave is sound

A

Longitudinal wave

(That means that the waves vibrate in the same direction as the wave travels. )

42
Q

What can sound travel through

A

Sound needs particles to vibrate. This means it can travel through solids, liquids and gases, but not a vacuum.

43
Q

What does the pitch of a sound depend on

A

The frequency of the wave

44
Q

What does the volume of a sound depend on

A

The loudness of volume of a sound wave depends on its amplitude.

45
Q

What is the speed of sound IN AIR

A

340 ms^-1

46
Q

How does going through solids or liquids effect the speed of sound

A

The speed of sound is faster in solids and liquids than in gases like air because the particles are closer together.

47
Q

Make a comparison between the speed of sound and light

A

The speed of light in air is 3 x 10^ 8 ms -1 (approximately 1 million times faster than sound), so we can assume that light reaches us instantaneously, whereas there is often a delay for sound.

48
Q

What is the range of human hearing

A

The range of human hearing is between 20 Hz and 20 000 Hz. As you get older you range of hearing decreases.

49
Q

What is infrasound

A

Sounds below 20Hz

50
Q

What is ultrasound

A

Sounds above 20,000 Hz

51
Q

How is ultrasound used in medicine

A

Ultrasound is used in hospitals to scan a baby in the womb. Ultrasound scans are safer to use than x-rays to produce an image of an unborn baby.

52
Q

How do boats use ultrasound

A

Boats use SONAR that uses ultrasound to navigate underwater and to identify shoals of fish.

53
Q

What are sound levels

A

The loudness of a sound is called the sound level and is measured in decibels (dB).

54
Q

What sound levels are harmful and how is this prevented

A

Sounds over 85 dB can damage hearing so workers in very noisy places wear ear defenders or use noise cancelling headphones to protect their hearing.

55
Q

What is used to measure sound levels

A

Sound meter

56
Q

What is noise pollution

A

Noise pollution is defined as any unwanted noise.​

57
Q

What are some examples of noise pollution

A

traffic​

construction​

airports​

classrooms of chatty pupils

58
Q

How do noise cancelling headphones get rid of noise pollution

A

These headphones record the background noise and play it back through the headphones with the wave turned ‘upside down’ so that it cancels out the noise.

59
Q

What is the Electromagnetic spectrum

A

The electromagnetic spectrum is a family of waves because they all travel at the same speed​

60
Q

List the parts of the EM spectrum in order of increasing frequency/ decreasing wavelength

A

Radio waves
Microwaves
Infrared
Visible light
Ultra violet
X rays
Gamma rays

61
Q

All EM waves are what type of wave

A

Transverse wave

62
Q

What is the rule for energy in the EM spectrum

A

The energy of the waves depends on their frequency.​

The higher the frequency, the higher the energy.

63
Q

What are common sources of Radio waves

A

Electronic circuits
Starlight

64
Q

What are common sources of microwaves

A

Electronic circuits
Starlight

65
Q

What are common sources of infrared

A

Warm objects
Sun
Electronic devices

66
Q

What are common sources of visible light

A

Electronic devices (Ie LED)
Sun

67
Q

What are common sources of Ultraviolet

A

Sun

68
Q

What are common sources of x - rays

A

Some natural rocks
very fast electrons hitting a metal target
Man-made sources

69
Q

What are common sources of gamma rays

A

Nuclear decay
Cosmic Rays

70
Q

What can be used to detect radio waves

A

aerial

71
Q

What can be used to detect microwaves

A

aerial

72
Q

What can be used to detect infrared

A

black-bulb thermometer
electronic detectors (Thermistor, Ldr,Photodiode.
Phototransistor)
heat-sensitive papers

73
Q

What can be used to detect visible light

A

eye, photographic film, electronic components (eg LDR)

74
Q

What can be used to detect ultraviolet

A

causes fluorescence (glowing) in some objects,

film

75
Q

What can be used to detect x rays

A

photographic film

76
Q

What can be used to detect gamma rays

A

photographic film, GM tube

77
Q

What are the typical uses of radio waves

A

communications, radio, TV

78
Q

What are the typical uses of microwaves

A

communications satellites, telephony, heating water and food

79
Q

What are the typical uses of infrared

A

detector in security lighting, remote controls (e.g. TV)
Thermal imagining camera

80
Q

What are the typical uses of visible light

A

seeing, photography, communication (eg in optical fibres), laser surgery

81
Q

What are the typical uses of ultraviolet

A

Detecting counterfeit bank notes, sun tanning lamps, killing bacteria.

82
Q

What are the typical uses of X rays

A

imaging breaks/defects in bones, hidden devices

83
Q

What are the typical uses of Gamma rays

A

medical tracers, killing cancerous cells, sterilisation of surgical equipment

Physics (7 decks)

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