Waves Flashcards

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1
Q

What do waves transfer?

A

waves transfer energy without transferring matter

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2
Q

What is displacement in a wave?

A

distance from rest position (of a particle)

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3
Q

What is amplitude?

A

measurement of distance between oscillation position and furthest wave point

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4
Q

What is wavelength?

A

distance between successive crests or successive troughs

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5
Q

Define ‘wavelength’ in terms of particles.

A

distance between successive particles moving in phase

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6
Q

What are some examples of transverse waves?

A

water
all electromagnetic radiation
seismic S-waves (secondary)

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7
Q

What is time period T?

A

time for one complete oscillation of a particle

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8
Q

What is frequency?

A

number of oscillations per second

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9
Q

Formula for wave speed.

A

frequency x wavelength

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10
Q

What is the direction of vibration in a transverse wave?

A

perpendicular (right angle) to the direction of propagation

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11
Q

What is the direction of vibration in a longitudinal wave?

A

parallel to the direction of propagation

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12
Q

What are some examples of longitudinal waves?

A

sound waves
seismic P-waves (primary)

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13
Q

What causes wave refraction?

A

change of speed

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14
Q

What is refraction?

A

change in wave speed that results in a change of wave direction

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15
Q

What causes wave diffraction?

A

when waves go through a narrow gap or meet an obstacle

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16
Q

What causes LITTLE diffraction?

A

when the gap size is bigger than the wavelength

17
Q

What causes A LOT of diffraction?

A

when the gap size is a similar size to the wavelength

18
Q

What is diffraction?

A

the spreading out of waves through a gap or around an obstacle

19
Q

How does wavelength affect diffraction at an edge/obstacle?

A

the bigger the wavelength, the more diffraction
when wavelength is small there is no diffraction (eg microwaves)

20
Q

What happens when water waves go from deep to shallow water?

A

when they enter shallow water at an angle, they slow down an change direction

21
Q

What happens to the frequency of the wave when it slows down?

A

does not change

22
Q

What happens to the wavelength of the wave when it slows down?

A

wavelength decreases

23
Q

what moves waves forward

A

transfer of kinetic energy

24
Q

transverse waves

A

oscillation is perpendicular to direction of energy transfer (propagation)

25
Q

examples of transverse waves

A

light, electromagnetic

26
Q

longitudinal wave

A

direction of vibration is parallel to direction of energy transfer (propagation)

27
Q

examples of longitudinal waves

A

sound

28
Q

longitudinal waves have

A

compressions and rarefractions

29
Q

wavelength in transverse

A

from crest to crest