Waves Flashcards

1
Q

What are metres measured in?

A

m

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2
Q

What are metre/second measured in?

A

m/s

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3
Q

What is a mechanical wave?

A

Waves that need a material medium to travel through: gas, liquid or solid

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4
Q

What is an electromagnetic (EM) wave?

A

Waves that can travel through a vacuum- they do not need matter like mechanical waves

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5
Q

What do waves do?

A

Waves transfer energy and information from one place to another. Energy and information are transferred by waves without transfer of matter.

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6
Q

What types of mechanical wave are there?

A

Transverse and Longitudinal

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7
Q

What is a transverse wave?

A

In transverse waves the medium moves at right angles to the direction of motion of the wave.

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8
Q

Give an example of a transverse wave?

A

Ripples on a pond

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9
Q

What is a longitudinal wave?

A

In longitudinal waves the medium moves in the same direction as the motion of the wave

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10
Q

Give an example of a longitudinal wave?

A

Sound waves

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11
Q

What are degrees measured in?

A

Deegeee

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12
Q

What happens in both types of mechanical wave?

A

In both types of mechanical wave, the particles that make up the medium oscillate (move back and forth) about fixed points within the medium. The difference is how the direction of their movement compares with the direction of the resultant wave travelling through the medium.

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13
Q

What can be done to waves?

A

Waves can be reflected, refracted and diffracted

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14
Q

What is diffraction?

A

Diffraction is the spreading of waves as they pass by the edges of obstacles, through a narrow gap or goes past an object.

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15
Q

What waves does diffraction occur with?

A

Diffraction occurs with all types of waves, e.g. sound waves and light waves

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16
Q

Are any properties of the wave changed by diffraction?

A

None of the properties of a wave are changed by diffraction. The wavelength, frequency, period and speed are same before and after diffraction. Again, the only change is the direction in which the wave is travelling.

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17
Q

Where is the greatest effect in diffraction?

A

When a wave passes through a gap the diffraction effect is greatest when the width of the gap is about the same size as the wavelength of the wave.

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18
Q

What is refraction?

A

Refraction occurs when a wave moves from one material to another

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19
Q

Are any properties of the wave changed by refraction?

A

The speed and wavelength are changed by refraction. The frequency and period of the wave stay the same. The direction in which the wave is travelling may or may not be changed by refraction.

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20
Q

When is the diffraction effect greatest?

A

When a wave passes through a gap the diffraction effect is greatest when the width of the gap is about the same size as the wavelength of the wave

21
Q

What are hertz measured in?

A

Hz

21
Q

What does he extent of diffraction depend on?

A

The extent of diffraction depends on the wavelength and the physical dimension of the gap

23
Q

What is reflection?

A

Reflection occurs when a wave bounces from the surface of an obstacle

24
Q

Are any of the wave properties changed by reflection?

A

None of the properties of a wave are changed by reflection. The wavelength, frequency, period and speed are same before and after reflection. The only change is the direction in which the wave is travelling.

25
Q

What is the amplitude of a wave?

A

The maximum displacement of a part of the medium from its rest position

26
Q

What is the wavelength of a wave?

A

The distance from peak to peak in (m)

27
Q

What is the frequency of a wave?

A

The number of vibrations per second in Hz

28
Q

What is the time period of a wave?

A

The time for one complete oscillation in seconds

29
Q

Wave Speed equation?

A
Wave speed = frequency x wavelength
v                       f                   (lamda)
30
Q

Frequency equation?

A

Frequency = 1/ time period, f= 1/T

31
Q

What is light?

A

Light is a continuous spectrum

32
Q

What EM waves make up the continuous electromagnetic spectrum?

A

(increasing frequency –>) radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, x-Ray, gamma ray. (

33
Q

What are electromagnetic waves?

A

Electromagnetic waves are transverse changes in the electric and magnetic friends in space

34
Q

How do electromagnetic waves travel?

A

They do not use a material medium and all travel at the same speed through a vacuum (free space) - 300 000 000 m/s

35
Q

What are the wave properties like in electromagnetic waves?

A

They all have wave properties in common but are produced in different ways and have special properties that depend on their frequency and therefore their wavelength

36
Q

What are the colours of the visible spectrum?

A

(Increasing frequency –>) Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet (

37
Q

Uses of radio wave?

A

Broadcasting and communication of information, e.g. TV and music

38
Q

Uses of microwaves?

A

Cooking, satellite transmissions and radar (used to detect aircraft and shipping)

39
Q

Uses of infrared?

A

Heating devices and night vision cameras (pick up different temperatures of objects)

40
Q

Uses of visible light?

A

Optical fibres, fibre optics (look inside human body when diagnosing and treating medical conditions) and photography

41
Q

Uses of ultraviolet?

A

Fluorescent lights

42
Q

Uses of X-Rays?

A

Examining internal structures of body in medical diagnosis

43
Q

Uses of gamma rays?

A

Sterilising food products and medical equipment, used to treat certain types of cancer

44
Q

Detrimental effects of microwaves?

A

Can directly heat internal body tissue, so serious damage can occur before pain is felt

45
Q

Detrimental effects of infrared?

A

It is readily absorbed by our skin and will result in burns

46
Q

Detrimental effects of ultraviolet in the human body?

A

Damage to surface cells, skin cancer, blindness

47
Q

Detrimental effects of gamma rays in human body?

A

Cause cell mutations and cancers

48
Q

Angle of incidence = ?

A

Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection

49
Q

How to work out refractive index?

A

Sin i/sin r