Waves

Question 1

What are the two types of waves ?

Answer 1

Tranverse and Longitudinal

Question 2

What is a transverse wave ?

Answer 2

A wave of which oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.

Question 3

what is a longitudinal wave ?

Answer 3

A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

Question 4

Give two examples of transverse waves

Answer 4

Electromagnetic waves
seismic s-waves

Question 5

Give two examples of longitudinal waves.

Answer 5

sound waves
seismic p-waves

Question 6

what are the two parts of a longitudinal wave called ?

Answer 6

compressions and rarefaction

Question 7

what is a wave’s amplitude ?

Answer 7

the maximum displacement from its undisturbed position

Question 8

What is wavelength

Answer 8

The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave

Most commonly peak to peak or trough to trough

Question 9

What is the frequency of a wave ?

Answer 9

The number of waves that pass a given point each second

Question 10

What is the unit used for frequency ?

Answer 10

Hertz , Hz

Question 11

What is meant by a frequency of 200Hz

Answer 11

200 waves pass a given point each second.

Question 12

What is wave speed ?

Answer 12

The speed at which the wave moves or at which energy is transferred through a medium

Question 13

What does a wave transfer

Answer 13

Energy

Question 14

State the equation used to calculate wave speed . Give appropriate units

Answer 14

Wave speed = Frequency x Wavelength

speed (m/s ), frequency (Hz), Wavelength (m)

Question 15

What word is used to describe when a wave bounces off a surface ?

Answer 15

Reflection

Question 16

How do sound waves travel through a solid ?

Answer 16

The particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material

Question 17

What is the frequency range of human hearing ?

Answer 17

20 Hz -20kHZ
1kHz = 1000 Hz

Question 18

what are ultrasound waves ?

Answer 18

Waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing (20kHz)

Question 19

Give an example use for ultrasound waves ?

Answer 19

Medical or industrial imaging

Question 20

what natural event causes seismic waves to be produced ? what types are produced ?

Answer 20

Earthquakes
The produce both p-waves and s-waves

Question 21

state a difference between the mediums that p-waves and s-waves can travel through

Answer 21

p- waves travel through both solids and liquids
s-waves only travel through solids (not liquids )

Question 22

What technique is used to detect objects in deep water and measure water depth ?

Answer 22

• echo sounding
  -High frequency sound waves are emitted reflected and detected
• Time difference between emissions and detection, alongside wave speed, are used to calculate

Question 23

wave speed formula

Answer 23

speed= frequency x wavelength

Question 24

What type of spectrum do electromagnetic waves form ?

Answer 24

A continuous spectrum

Question 25

order the types of electromagnetic radiation from lowest to highest frequency?

Answer 25

- Radio waves -Microwaves -Infrared -Visible light -ultraviolet - x rays -gamma rays

Question 26

How do the speeds of EM Radiation differ in a vacuum and in air

Answer 26

Electromagnetic waves all travel at the same speed in a vacuum and in air

Question 27

What property of waves in different mediums cause refraction?

Answer 27

- velocity -wave speed is slower in denser materials causing refraction

Question 28

In which direction (relative to normal ) do waves refract when entering a denser medium ?

Answer 28

- they bend towards the normal - the angle of reflection is less than the angle of incidence

Question 29

What types of waves can be produced by osicillations in an electrical circuit?

Answer 29

Radio waves

Question 30

How can radio waves create an alternating current in a circuit ?

Answer 30

When radio waves are absorbed, they induce oscillations in a circuit with the same frequency as the waves themselves

Question 31

Where do gamma rays originate from

Answer 31

The originate from changes in the nuclei of atoms

Question 32

What health effects can ultraviolet waves cause

Answer 32

- they can cause the skin to age prematurely -can increase the risk of developing skin cancer

Question 33

What health effects can X-rays and Gamma rays cause ?

Answer 33

-They are ionising radiation so they can cause mutations in genes - increased risk of developing various cancers

Question 34

Three practical uses for infrared radiation

Answer 34

- electrical heaters -cooking food -infrared cameras

Question 35

Two practical uses for microwave radiation

Answer 35

-satellite communications -cooking food

Question 36

Two practical uses for radio waves

Answer 36

-television transmission -radio transmission

Question 37

What wave phenomenon is used by lenses to form an image?

Answer 37

refraction

Question 38

How does a convex lens form an image

Answer 38

Parallel waves of light are refracted and brought together at a point known as a principal focus.

Question 39

What is the focal length of the lens

Answer 39

The distance from the lens to the principal focus

Question 40

Difference between images produced by a convex and a concave lens

Answer 40

- convex lenses can produce real or virtual images -concave lenses can only produce virtual images

Question 41

Why does magnification not have a unit ?

Answer 41

-It is the ratio between imagine height and object height - ratios do not require units