Waves Flashcards
Describe transverse waves
particles move up and down, energy perpendicular to direction of wave
Describe longitudinal waves
particles move backwards and forwards, energy parallel to direction of waves
What is frequency
number of waves passed through a point each second
how do you calculate wave speed
frequency x wavelength
Why do waves change direction when they enter a different medium
because the speed changes
Where does light bend to when it slows down
bends towards the normal
Where does light bend to when it speeds up
bends away from the normal
Where does white light come from
the sun
What is white light
a mixture. of different frequencies of light
Describe sound waves when going through different materials
different speeds
Describe how the ear hears sound waves
1)waves enter ear canal
2)waves make eardrum vibrate
3)vibrations passed to tiny bones to amplify them
4)vibrations passed to liquid cochlea
5)tiny hairs inside cochlea collect vibrations +create impulses
6)impulses travel along auditory nerve to brain
What frequencies can the human ear hear
20hz-20000hz
Where is the membrane the thickest and thinnest in the cochlea
at base and at apex
What do the hair cells on the membrane in the cochlea do
detect vibrations
What are hair cells connected to and what does it do
connected to neurones which send impulses to brain
