waves Flashcards
What is the primary role of waves?
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 is the relationship between frequency and wavelength?
They have an inverse relationship; as frequency increases, wavelength decreases.
What are the types of mechanical waves?
- Longitudinal
- Transverse
What is a characteristic of mechanical waves?
They require a medium (solid, liquid, gas) to travel.
Can mechanical waves travel in a vacuum?
No, they will not work in a vacuum.
How do particles move in transverse waves?
Matter moves in an up and down pattern, perpendicular to the direction of the wave.
What types of energy can transverse waves carry?
- Mechanical energy
- Radiant energy
What is an example of a transverse wave?
Heat, light, and water waves.
What is the direction of wave energy in longitudinal waves?
Wave energy moves in the same direction as the medium.
What are the components of a longitudinal wave?
- Compression
- Rarefaction
What is the maximum displacement of particles in a wave called?
Amplitude.
How is amplitude measured in transverse waves?
From the midline to the crest or trough.
What is wavelength?
The distance from one point to the next corresponding point in a wave.
How is wavelength measured in transverse waves?
From crest to crest or trough to trough.
How is wavelength measured in longitudinal waves?
From rarefaction to rarefaction or compression to compression.
What are the units for frequency?
Hertz (Hz).
What happens to the energy of a wave as its frequency increases?
The energy of the wave increases.
Fill in the blank: Waves transfer ______, not matter.
energy
True or False: Electromagnetic energy requires a medium to transfer.
False.
What is the relationship between the number of wavelengths produced and frequency?
The higher the frequency, the more wavelengths produced per second.
Compare and contrast transverse and longitudinal waves.
Transverse waves have crests and troughs, while longitudinal waves have compressions and rarefactions.
