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PHYSICS PAPER 2 > Waves > Flashcards

Waves Flashcards

learn the wave content

1
Q

Wavelength

A

The distance, in m, between 2 corresponding points on a wave.

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2
Q

Peak

A

The top of a wave

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3
Q

Amplitude

A

The maximum distance between the middle line and the peak or trough

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4
Q

Frequency

A

The number of waves that pass a point in 1 second, measured in Hertz

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5
Q

Period

A

The time taken, in seconds, for 1 wave to travel.

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6
Q

Trough

A

The bottom of a wave

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7
Q

what are the two types of waves?

A

transverse and longitudinal

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8
Q

how do the particles move on a transverse wave?

A

perpendicular to the vibration

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9
Q

equation for a period

A

1 / frequency

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10
Q

all waves transfer ____ not ____

A

energy
matter

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11
Q

equation for wave speed

A

wave speed = frequency x wavelength

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12
Q

triangle equation that links wave speed, frequency and wavelength

A

v
f wavelength

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13
Q

transverse wave

A

vibrations/ oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of transfer

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14
Q

longitudinal wave

A

oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer

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15
Q

the ripples on a water surface are an example of a …

A

transverse wave

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16
Q

what do longitudinal waves show areas of?

A

compression and rarefaction

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17
Q

are sound waves travelling through the air transverse or longitudinal waves?

A

longitudinal

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18
Q

where can waves be reflected?

A

at the boundary between two different materials

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19
Q

what can sound waves do?

A

sound waves can travel through solids, causing vibrations in the solid

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20
Q

what do sound waves do in the ear?

A

in the ear, sound waves cause the ear drum and other parts to vibrate, which causes the sensation of sound.
The conversion of sound waves to vibrations of solids work over a limited frequency range. Restricts the limits of human hearing.

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21
Q

what is the normal human hearing range?

A

20Hz - 20KHz

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22
Q

——- waves have a frequency higher than the upper limit of hearing for humans?

A

ultrasound

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23
Q

when are ultrasound waves partially reflected?

A

when they meet a boundary between 2 different media

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24
Q

what can the time taken for ultrasound wave reflections to reach a detector be used to determine? and why is this useful?

A
  • how far away such a boundary is
  • this allows ultrasound waves to be used for both medical and industrial imaging.
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25
what waves are produced by earthquakes?
seismic waves are produced by earthquakes
26
what type of waves are P- waves
longitudinal, seismic waves
27
what type of waves are S- waves
transverse, seismic waves
28
what can P-waves do?
P-waves can travel at different speeds through solids and liquids.
29
what can S-waves do?
S- waves CANNOT travel through liquids.
30
what do P-waves and S-waves provide evidence for?
they provide evidence for the structure and size of the Earth's core
31
What is Echo sounding and how is it used?
Echo sounding, using high frequency sound waves, is used to detect objects in deep water and measure water depth.
32
what is the shadow zone?
the region where no S- waves are detected, as S-waves cannot travel through liquids, therefore not allowing them to travel through the outer core. For example, if an earthquake happens, there will be a large shadow zone where S-waves cannot be detected. The P-waves can travel through the inner and outer core, but are refracted, so there is a smaller shadow zone for P-waves.
33
why are P-waves refracted at the boundary between the inner and outer core?
P-waves refract at the boundary between the inner and outer core because they travel at different speeds through different medians
34
what are EM waves?
EM waves are transverse waves that transfer energy from the source of the waves to an absorber. EM waves form a continuous spectrum and all types of EM waves travel at the same velocity through a vacuum (space) of air.
35
our eyes only detect one EM wave... which one is it?
Our eyes can only detect visible light and so detect a limited range of EM waves
36
what is the order of the EM spectrum from low- high frequency / long- short wavelength?
Radio Waves Microwaves Infrared Visible light Ultraviolet X-rays Gamma Rays
37
what is the order of the EM spectrum from high- low frequency / short- long wavelength?
Gamma Rays X-rays Ultraviolet Visible light Infrared Microwaves Radio Waves
38
different substances may absorb, transmit, refract or reflect EM waves in...
ways that vary with wavelength
39
some effects (eg ----) are due to the difference in velocity of the waves in different substances
rarefaction
40
what are radio waves produced by?
radio waves are produced by oscillations in electrical circuits
41
what happens when radio waves are absorbed?
when absorbed, they may create an alternating current with the same frequency as the radio wave itself, so radio waves can themselves induce oscillations in an electrical circuit
42
changes in atoms and the nuclei of atoms can result in EM waves being----
generated or absorbed over a wide frequency range
43
what do Gamma rays originate from?
changes in the nuclei of an atom
44
what can UV waves, X-rays and Gamma rays have hazardous effects on?
The human body tissue ( effects depend on the type of radiation and size of the dose
45
what is radiation measured in and what does it measure?
Radiation is measured in Sieverts (Sv) and is a measure of the risk of harm resulting from an exposure of the body to radiation 1000 millisieverts (mSv) = 1 Sievert (Sv)
46
what can ultraviolet waves cause?
ultraviolet waves cause skin to age prematurely and increase the risk of skin cancer
47
what are the most ionising EM waves?
X-rays and Gamma rays - ionising radiation can cause the mutation of genes and cancer
48
uses of radio waves
radio and TV
49
Uses of microwaves
Cooking food Satellite communications
50
Uses of Infrared radiation
Infrared cameras Cooking food Electric heaters
51
Uses of visible light
Fibre optic communications
52
Uses of ultraviolet
Sun tanning Energy efficient lamps
53
Uses of X-rays and Gamma rays
Treatments Medical imaging
54
What does a lens do
A lens forms an image by refracting light
55
What happens in a convex lens
In a convex lens, parallel rays of light are brought to a focus at the principle focus
56
Focal length
Distance from lens to principle focus
57
What do ray diagrams show
Ray diagrams are used to show the formation of images by convex and concave lenses
58
Images produced by a convex lens are…
Either real or virtual
59
Image produced by a concave lens are…
Always virtual
60
what does each colour within the visible light spectrum have?
each colour within the visible light spectrum has it's own narrow band of wavelength and frequency
61
what is specular reflection?
specular reflection is the reflection from a smooth surface in a single direction
62
what is diffuse reflection?
diffuse reflection is the reflection from a rough surface, which causes scattering
63
how do colour filters work?
colour filters work by absorbing certain wavelengths (and colour) and transmitting other wavelengths (and colour)
64
how is the colour of an opaque object determined?
the colour of an opaque object is determined by which wavelengths of light are more strongly reflected... wavelengths which are not reflected are absorbed
65
what happens if all the wavelengths are reflected equally?
the object will appear white b
66
what happens if the wavelengths are all absorbed?
the object will appear black
67
objects that transmit light are...
transparent or translucent
68
what do all bodies (objects) do?
all bodies (objects), no matter what temperature, emit and absorb infrared radiation. Hotter the body = more infrared radiated in a given amount of time
69
what is a perfect black body?
a perfect black body is an object that absorbs all of the radiation incident on it (does not reflect or transmit any radiation)
70
why would a perfect black body be the best possible emitter?
because a good absorber is also a good emitter
71
all bodies emit...
radiation
72
what does the intensity and wavelength distribution of any emission depend on?
it depends on the temperature of the body
73
a body at constant temperature is...
absorbing radiation at the same rate as it is emitting radiation
74
What happens to the temperature of a body when the body absorbs radiation faster than it emits radiation?
the temperature of the body increases
75
what factors does the temperature of the Earth depend on?
the rates of absorption and emission of radiation, and the reflection of radiation into space

PHYSICS PAPER 2 (5 decks)

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