Waves Flashcards
Definitions from the N5 Waves sub-unit
What is meant by a “Transverse wave”?
A wave in which the medium oscillates at right angles to the wave motion
What is meant by a “Longitudinal wave”?
A wave in which the medium oscillates at parallel to the wave motion
What is meant by the “Wavelength” of a wave?
The horizontal distance between any two repeating points of the wave (eg peak to peak) measured in meters (m)
What is meant by the “Amplitude” of a wave?
The distance between the equilibrium point and a peak or trough, measured in meters (m)
What is meant by the “Period” of a wave?
The time taken for one wave to pass a point, measured in seconds (s)
What is meant by the “Speed” of a Wave?
A measure of how fast a wave is travelling, measured in meters per second (m/s)
What is meant by the “Frequency” of a wave?
The number of waves passing a point in one second, measured in Hertz (Hz)
Give an example of a Transverse wave.
Light
Water waves
Seismic waves
Electromagnetic waves
Vibrations on a guitar string
Mexican wave in a crowd
Give an example of a Longitudinal wave.
Sound
What is meant by “Intfrasound”?
A sound with a frequnecy of less than 20Hz
What is meant by “Ultrasound”?
A sound with a frequency of more than 20,000Hz
What is the Speed of Sound in air?
v = 340 m/s
What is the Speed of Light?
300,000,000 m/s
State a detector of Radio waves.
Aerial
State a detector of Microwaves.
Microwave Diode
State a detector of Infrared radiation.
CCD chip
State a detector of Visible Light.
Photographic film
State a detector of Ultraviolet radiation.
Fluorescent Dyes
State a detector of X Rays.
Photographic Film
State a detector of Gamma Rays.
GM tube and counter
State an application of Radio Waves
Long range communication
State an application of Microwaves
Mobile phone communication
State an application of Infrared radiation.
TV remote control signals
State an application of Visible Light in Medicine
Endoscopy
State an application of Ultraviolet radiation
Acne treatment
State an application of X Rays.
Imaging broken bones
State an application of Gamma Rays.
Medical Tracers
What is meant by the “Normal line” in an optics diagram?
Dashed line at 90 degrees to the surface, where all angles are measured from.
What is meant by the “Incident ray” in an optics diagram?
The ray of light ‘hitting’ the surface in question
What is meant by the “Reflected ray” in an optics diagram?
The ray of light that has undergone reflection
What is meant by the “Refracted ray” in an optics diagram?
The ray of light that has undergone refraction
What is meant by the “Angle of incidence”?
The angle between the normal and the incident ray.
What is meant by the “Angle of Reflection”?
The angle between the normal and the reflected ray.
What is meant by the “Angle of Refraction”?
The angle between the normal and the refracted ray.
What is the “Law of reflection”?
For a mirrored surface, the angle of Incidence of a ray of light is equal to the angle of Reflection.
What is meant by “Refraction”?
The process by which a ray of Light changes speed as it moves between materials of different density.
What is meant by “Diffraction”?
When a wave passes an object, the wave’s path can be distorted by the object’s edge, causing the edge of the wave to change direction.
