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Physics-P1 > Waves > Flashcards

Waves Flashcards

1
Q

How can the speed of a wave be calculated?

A

The speed of a wave can be calculated from its frequency and wavelength.

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2
Q

What are waves?

A

Waves are vibrations that transfer energy from place to place without matter (solid, liquid or gas) being transferred.

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3
Q

Why must some waves travel through a substance?

A

Some waves must travel through a substance. The substance is known as the medium and it can be solid, liquid or gas. Sound waves and seismic waves are like this. They must travel through a medium, and it is the medium that vibrates as the waves travel through. Other waves do not need to travel through a substance. They may be able to travel through a medium, but they do not have to. Visible light, infrared rays, microwaves and other types of electromagnetic radiation are like this.

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4
Q

What are transverse waves?

A

Light and other types of electromagnetic radiation are transverse waves. All types of electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed through a vacuum, such as through space.

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5
Q

What is different about the oscillations in transverse waves?

A

In transverse waves, the oscillations (vibrations) are at right angles to the direction of travel and energy transfer

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6
Q

What is different about the oscillations in in longitudinal waves?

A

In longitudinal waves, the oscillations are along the same direction as the direction of travel and energy transfer.

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7
Q

What is the amplitude of a wave?

A

The amplitude of a wave is its maximum disturbance from its undisturbed position. Take care: the amplitude is not the distance between the top and bottom of a wave.

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8
Q

What is the wavelength of a wave?

A

The wavelength of a wave is the distance between a point on one wave and the same point on the next wave.

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9
Q

What is the frequency of a wave?

A

The frequency of a wave is the number of waves produced by a source each second. It is also the number of waves that pass a certain point each second. The unit of frequency is the hertz (Hz).

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10
Q

How do you work out the speed of a wave?

A

The speed of a wave is related to its frequency and wavelength, according to this equation: v = f × λ v is the wave speed in metres per second, m/s f is the frequency in hertz, Hz λ (lambda) is the wavelength in metres, m.

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11
Q

What is refraction?

A

Sound waves and light waves change speed when they pass across the boundary between two substances with different densities, such as air and glass. This causes them to change direction and this effect is called refraction. There is one special case you need to know. Refraction doesn’t happen if the waves cross the boundary at an angle of 90° (called the normal) - in that case they carry straight on.

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12
Q

What is diffraction?

A

When waves meet a gap in a barrier, they carry on through the gap. However, the waves spread out to some extent into the area beyond the gap. This is called diffraction. The extent of the spreading depends on how the width of the gap compares to the wavelength of the waves. Significant diffraction only happens when the wavelength is of the same order of magnitude as the gap. For example: a gap similar to the wavelength causes a lot of spreading with no sharp shadow, eg sound through a doorway a gap much larger than the wavelength causes little spreading and a sharp shadow, e.g. light through a doorway.

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13
Q

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

A

The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection The normal is a line drawn at right angles to the reflector The angle of incidence is between the incident (incoming) ray and the normal The angle of reflection is between the reflected ray and the normal.

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14
Q

What is the image of a mirror?

A

The image in a plane mirror is: virtual (it cannot be touched or projected onto a screen) upright (if you stand in front of a mirror, you look the right way up) laterally inverted (if you stand in front of a mirror, your left side seems to be on the right in the reflection).

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15
Q

What type of waves are sound waves?

A

Sound waves are longitudinal waves that must pass through a medium.

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16
Q

What is significant about the amplitude and the frequency?

A

The greater the amplitude, the louder the sound. The greater the frequency, the higher the pitch.

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17
Q

What is the normal range of sound for human hearing?

A

Sounds in the normal range of human hearing are between about 20 Hz and 20 kHz, but the range becomes less as we get older. Sounds with frequencies above about 20 kHz are called ultrasound.

18
Q

What is white light?

A

White light can be split up using a prism to form a spectrum. The light waves are refracted as they enter and leave the prism. The shorter the wavelength of the light, the more it is refracted. As a result, red light is refracted the least and violet light is refracted the most, causing the coloured light to spread out to form a spectrum.

19
Q

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

A

The electromagnetic spectrum is a continuous range of wavelengths. The types of radiation that occur in different parts of the spectrum have different uses and dangers, which depend on their wavelength and frequency.

20
Q

What is different about Radio waves to Gamma waves?

A

Radio waves have the lowest frequencies and longest wavelengths, while gamma waves have highest frequencies and shortest wavelengths.

21
Q

Which types of waves can be used for communication?

A

Radio waves, microwaves, visible light and infrared can all be used for communication.

22
Q

What are radio waves?

A

Radio waves are used to transmit television and radio programmes. Television uses higher frequencies than radio. A radio programme receiver does not need to be directly in view of the transmitter to receive programme signals. Diffraction allows low-frequency radio waves to be received behind hills, although repeater stations are often used to improve the quality of the signals. The lowest frequency radio waves are also reflected from an electrically charged layer of the upper atmosphere, called the ionosphere. This means that they can still reach receivers that are not in the line of sight because of the curvature of the Earth’s surface.

23
Q

Name one other use of microwave radiation, except heating food.

A

Microwave radiation can also be used to transmit signals such as mobile phone calls.

24
Q

What is visible light?

A

Visible light is the light we can see. It allows us to communicate with one another through books, hand signals and video, for example.

25
Q

What is infrared radiation used for?

A

We cannot see infrared radiation, but we can feel it as heat energy. High intensity infrared is used in heaters, toasters and grills, and it can cause burns. Infrared sensors can detect heat from the body. They are used in: security lights burglar alarms. Infrared radiation is also used to transmit information from place to place, including: remote controls for television sets and DVD players data links between computers.

26
Q

What is the Doppler Shift?

A

The change in frequency of a wave.

27
Q

What is a transverse wave?

A

A wave where the vibrations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.

28
Q

What is Oscillation?

A

Moving to and from about a position along a line.

29
Q

What is perpendicular?

A

At right angles.

30
Q

What is a longitudinal wave?

A

A wave where the vibrations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

31
Q

What is compression?

A

Squeezed together.

32
Q

What is rarefaction?

A

Stretched apart.

33
Q

What is an electromagnetic wave?

A

Electric and magnetic waves that transfer energy.

34
Q

What is a mechanical wave?

A

A vibration that travels through a substance.

35
Q

What is amplitude?

A

The height of a wave crest or tough from the rest position.

36
Q

What is a wave length?

A

The distance from one wave crest to the next wave crest.

37
Q

What is frequency?

A

The number of wave crests passing a fix point every second.

38
Q

What is wave speed?

A

The speed that a wave travels at.

39
Q

What is a plane mirror?

A

A flat mirror.

40
Q

What is normal?

A

A straight line through a surface at right angles to the surface.

41
Q

What is the angle of incidence?

A

Angle between the incidence ray and the normal.

42
Q

What is the angle of reflection?

A

Angle between the reflected ray and the normal.

Physics-P1 (22 decks)

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