Waves Flashcards
What are the 2 types of waves?
Transverse
Longitudinal
What is a wave?
Transfer of energy from one place to the other
What happens in a transverse waves?
Oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer
What happens in a longitudinal wave?
Oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer
What do all waves have?
Frequency, amplitude, wavelength, period
Describe frequency
The number of waves passing a fixed point per second, measured in hertz
Describe amplitude.
The maximum displacement that any particle achieves from its undisturbed position in metres
Describe wavelength
The distance from one point on a wave to the equivalent point on the next wave in metres
Describe period
The time taken for one to complete oscillation in seconds
What is the speed of a wave?
The speed at which the energy is transferred
What do you do when constructing a ray diagram?
Rays must be drawn using a ruler
Single arrow
All relevant angles labelled
What does the direction of refraction depend on?
The angle at which the wave hits the boundary, the materials involved
What causes refraction?
The difference in the wave speed in the different media
What do sound waves have?
Frequency, amplitude and wavelength
What is the normal range of human hearing?
20Hz to 20,000Hz
What happens when sound waves reach the ear?
The ear drum vibrates
What frequency are ultrasonic waves?
greater than 20,000Hz, so they cannot be heard by human ears
What happens when an ultrasonic wave meets a boundary between two different media?
It is partially reflected