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Waves Flashcards

1
Q

Give an example of longitudinal waves

A

Sound waves

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2
Q

What is a transverse wave

A

A transverse wave is one in which the oscillations take place at right angles to the direction of propagation (i.e. to the direction in which the waves are travelling)

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3
Q

Given example of transverse waves

A

Electromagnetic waves

Water waves

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4
Q

What shape would a transverse wave make on a slinky

A

It would go up and down

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5
Q

What shape would a longitudinal wave make on a slinky

A

It would go in a straight line with places of rarefaction and places of compression

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6
Q

What is amplitude of the wave

A

Amplitude of the wave is the maximum displacement from its equilibrium position of whatever it is oscillating to propagate the wave.
It is measured in metres

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7
Q

Describe frequency of a wave

A

The frequency of a wave is the number of cycles that the wave makes in one second
It is measured in hertz

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8
Q

Describe the wavelength of a wave

A

The wavelength of the wave is the distance from one point on the wave to the next identical point
It will be measured in metres

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9
Q

What is the time period of a wave

A

The time period of a wave is the time taken for the source to produce one complete wave – i.e. it is the time for one complete cycle of the way
It will also be measured in seconds

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10
Q

What is an oscillation

A

And oscillation is a repetitive to and fro movement – e.g. a mass bouncing up and down on the spring, or a pendulum swinging back and forth.

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11
Q

What is the equation for finding the frequency of a wave

A

Wave speed = frequency x wavelength:

V = F x ‘lamda sign’

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12
Q

What is wave speed measured in

A

Metres per second

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13
Q

How do you find the frequency of a wave

A

Frequency = 1 ➗ time period

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14
Q

What is the difference between electromagnetic waves and soundwave

A

Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum while soundwaves cannot also electromagnetic waves travel at the speed of almost 300,000,000 m/s in our, while soundwaves only travel at the speed of about 330 m/s.

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15
Q

What is a similarity between light waves and soundwaves

A

They can both be reflected and refracted

But light waves are electromagnetic waves so Are transverse waves while soundwaves are longitudinal

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16
Q

How are light rays reflected off a plane (ie flat) Mirror

A

In such a way that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection

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17
Q

What is the angle of reflection and what is the angle of incidence

A

The angle of incidence is the angle between the incident ray and the normal, while the angle of reflection is the angle between the reflected ray and the normal

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18
Q

What is the normal line

A

I’m normal line or so-called normal is an imaginary line drawn at right angles to a boundary at the point at which the wave crosses it

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19
Q

When an image is reflected in the mirror what does it look like

A

It is the same distance behind the mirror as the object being reflected is in front the race but do not actually go behind the mirror are drawn as dashed lines.

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20
Q

What is the speed at which a wave can travel affected by

A

It is affected by the properties medium through which it travels, for example it is affected by the density of the medium.
(In water waves they travel faster when the water is deeper).
(Sound waves travel faster in a medium that is less dense so they travel faster through air than carbon dioxide)

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21
Q

What happens when a wave travels from one medium to another

A

The speed of the light Ray is changed which can cause a change in the direction of the ray
For example light travels towards the normal when travelling from air to glass

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22
Q

What happens when waves go directly from one boundary to the next

A

There is no change in direction as the frequency stays the same and no part of the light ray bands before the other part so it does not bend

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23
Q

Name the order of the electromagnetic spectrum

A 
Radio waves
Microwave
Infrared radiation
Visible light
Ultraviolet radiation
X-rays
Gamma rays
24
Q

What is the one thing but all waves in the electromagnetic spectrum have in common

A

They all travel through space at 300,000 km/s I.e at the speed of light

25
Describe radio waves
Radio waves generated by a very rapidly oscillating current, radio waves have wavelength in the range 1 m to 1000 m depending on the frequency of transmission.
26
What are radio waves used for
Radios
27
What are microwaves used
They are used to communicate with satellites in space in orbit around the earth. And microwaves. Broadcasting and communication
28
What is the difference as you move down the electromagnetic spectrum
The wavelength decreases and the frequency increases
29
What are infrared waves used for
Heaters and night vision
30
What is visible light used for
Optical fibres and photography
31
What is ultraviolet used for
Fluorescent lamps
32
What are x-rays used for
For ionising radiation
33
What are gamma rays used for
Sterilising food and medical equipment
34
Name the detrimental effects of excessive exposure of the human body to microwaves, infrared, ultraviolet, and gamma rays
Microwaves: internal heating of body tissue Infrared: skin burns Ultraviolet: damage to surface cells and blindness Gamma rays: cancer, mutation
35
What does UV give both positively and negatively
Gives suntan but ultimately can lead to skin cancer
36
Describe a longitudinal wave
A longitudinal wave has oscillations that are parallel to the direction of propagation
37
What does the equal angles rule mean if you have two plane mirrors at right angles to each other
The light that hits the first mirror and that is reflected on the second which then returns will be equal to each other
38
What are the steps to construct Ray diagrams to illustrate the formation of a virtual image in a plane mirror
1: draw a read from one point on the object heading towards the mirror 2: draw it reflecting of the mirror so that angle of incidence is equal to angle of reflection. 3. Draw another Ray from the same point on the object heading towards the mirror at a different angle 4. Draw at reflecting off the mirror so that angle of incidence is equal to angle of reflection 5. Trace behind the reflected rays back behind the mirror using dotted lines 6. The point with these lines cross over is the position of the image of the point on the object
39
Which direction should arrows on a ray point
Away from the object | Remember that there are no arrows on the lines that go behind the mirror
40
The image in the mirror, could the virtual image is what
The same size as the object Directly opposite the object As far behind the mirror as the object is in front Laterally inverted – that is, left and right are swapped over
41
When does a light ray bend towards normal or away
Bends towards the normal when the object it is entering is more dense and it bends away when the object it is entering is less dense
42
What is the order of the colours in the rainbow
Red, yellow, orange, green, blue, Indigo, violet
43
Recall the equation to find the refractive index of an object
N (refractive index) = sin i ➗sin r
44
What is Snel's law
That no matter what the angle of incidence and refraction when a light enters an object when you divide the sin of each i by the sin of r they always equal the same number
45
When is the point at which after a light ray will totally internally reflect
The critical angle. At this angle the light ray will bend exactly down the boundary of the block. After this point when the angle is bigger it will totally internally reflect
46
What happens if the angle of incidence is smaller than the critical angle
It will refract out of the prism
47
What is an optical fibre
Optical fibres are thin strands of very pure glass, often surrounded by a coating of glass at a lower density so that conditions for total internal reflection are always met.
48
Why does total internal reflection occur in optical fibres
Because the angle of incidence is always greater than that of the critical angle
49
What is an endoscope and how does it work
An endoscope is a device that consists of two distinct bundles of optical fibres that can be introduced into the body to examine otherwise inaccessible areas. Light is piped down the incoherent(random) end. While the image comes back up the coherent bundle of optical fibres
50
How are endoscopes good at their job and what do that mean doctors do not have to do as regularly
They are flexible so can follow the twists and turns of the body. This means doctors do not have to do investigative surgery and they can also carry out small procedures like biopsies by adding tiny surgical tools to the end of the endoscope
51
How do u work out the critical angle of an object
Sin c = 1 ➗ n
52
How does an ultra sound work
Ultra sound is a wave with frequency above human hearing. It can be used to work out the distance of something by emitting a short pulse if ultra sound and seeing how long it takes to come back.
53
What is ultra sound used for
To produce images of the inside of the body.
54
Why is ultra sound used instead of radiation to scan babies in the womb
Because ultrasound is not a form of ionising radiation
55
What can ultrasonic echo-sounding be used for other than scanning babies in mother's wombs
Ultrasonic tape measures Motion sensors At sea to locate underwater objects By bats to navigate their way around
56
What is the range of human hearing
20Hz-20,000Hz
57
How do u measure the speed of sound in air
Speed of sound=distance between two objects (1.0m) x time taken to get there (m/s) For example if u connect an electric clock between 2 microphones it can time how long it takes for the sound to travel from one to the other across a known distance e.g 1m

Physics (14 decks)

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