waves Flashcards
What is the role of waves in the transfer of energy?
Waves transfer energy, not matter.
How does the amplitude of a wave relate to its energy?
The greater the amplitude, the more energy the wave carries.
What are the two main types of mechanical waves?
- Longitudinal
- Transverse
What must mechanical waves have to travle?
A medium (solid, liquid, gas).
Can sound waves travel through a vacuum?
No, sound waves cannot travel through a vacuum.
In which direction do particles move in a transverse wave?
Particles move in an up and down pattern.
What is the relationship between the direction of particle movement and wave movement in a transverse wave?
It is perpendicular (at a right angle) to the direction of the wave.
What are examples of transverse waves?
- Heat
- Light
- Water waves
What is a characteristic of electromagnetic energy?
It does not need a medium to transfer energy.
What is a longitudinal wave also called?
Compression wave.
How do matter particles move in a longitudinal wave?
They move back and forth.
What is the relationship between wave energy and medium direction in a longitudinal wave?
Wave energy moves in the same direction as the medium.
What are examples of longitudinal waves?
- Sound
- Springs
- Tuning forks
What is amplitude?
The maximum displacement of the particles of the medium from the starting point.
How is amplitude measured in transverse waves?
From the midline to the crest or trough.
How is amplitude measured in longitudinal waves?
By the closeness of dense compressions.
What is wavelength?
The distance from one point to the next corresponding point in a wave.
What is the inverse relationship between frequency and wavelength?
As frequency increases, wavelength decreases.
What are the units for frequency?
Hertz (Hz).
How does frequency relate to the energy of a wave?
The higher the frequency, the more energy in the wave.
What are the two types of wave measurements for wavelength in transverse waves?
- Crest to Crest
- Trough to Trough
What are the two types of wave measurements for wavelength in longitudinal waves?
- Rarefaction to Rarefaction
- Compression to Compression
True or False: Waves transfer matter.
False
Fill in the blank: The _______ is the distance from one point to the next corresponding point in a wave.
[wavelength]
