Waves Flashcards
Crest
The top of the wave
Trough
The bottom of the wave
Rest position
The line in the middle
Amplitude
The distance from the rest position to the top of the crest or to the bottom of a trough
Wavelength
The distance between two crests or two troughs
Frequency
How many waves pass a set point in one second
Absorption
The process of energy entering material but not exiting the material
Reflection
When light bounces off of a material/object
Transmission
The act of energy passing through a medium ir vacuum
Refraction
When a wave changes direction due to a change in speed of the wave, usually in response to the wave traveling from one medium to another
What is white light?
A mixture of all the colors of the rainbow
What happens when all the colors are absorbed?
It changes into heat
Why do we see white objects?
Because the colors are reflecting
Why do we see black objects?
Because all the colors are being absorbed
What are the primary colors?
Red, yellow, and blue
Why is the sky blue?
Because sunlight light is scattered by the air
What can a prism do?
It can break up light into all the colors of the rainbow
What is it called when light strikes and object and passes though it without scattering?
Transparent
What is it called when an object transmits light but the image aren’t clear?
Translucent
What are some materials that are transparent?
Clear glass, pure water, and air
What are some materials that are translucent?
Very dirty glass and tissue paper
Ocean waves
A type of mechanical wave were energy moves through a medium,
Longitude wave
Energy compresses and expands the space between particles
Sound waves
The particles of the medium carrying the sound move back and forth parallel to the direction the energy travels.
What is a method of measuring frequency?
By counting the number of peaks or compressions that pass a certain point over given time.
Where are transverse wave found?
The wavelength is commonly found by measuring the distance between two successive crests of a wave.
What is interaction interference?
When two or more waves that travel in the same medium can interact with each other.
What happens when interaction interference happens?
When it occurs, the displacement of a point is equal to the sum of the displacements of the different waves at that point.
What type of wave is light?
Electromagnetic wave, and electromagnetic waves don’t need matter to travel.
What is a concave mirror?
It is shaped like the round end of a spoon or the inside of bowl, reflected light converges to a point in front of the mirror.
What is another name for concave mirrors and why?
Converging mirrors because they tend to reflect the light that falls on them toward a focal point.
What is a convex mirror?
It is shaped like the Bottom of a spoon or bowl. Reflected light diverges away from the mirror.
What is another name for convex mirrors and why?
Bankers’ eyes because they would be used to keep employees from stealing.
Why does light travel in straight lines?
Because the shining of a powerful light source through a thin slit produces a straight narrow beam.
What is a lens?
A curved pice of a transparent material, like glass and plastic.
What can a lens do?
A lens refracts light rays, or bends them, in a way that forms an image.
What is refraction responsible for?
It is responsible for the colors of soap bubbles and when we see the spectrum of colors in a rainbow, and for some optical illusions.
Why are rainbows created?
They are created because raindrops refract each different wavelength in white light from the sun at a different angle, between 40 and 50 degrees, depending on the color.
How does an object get hot when it absorbs all the light?
It happens when light waves interact with electrons in the atoms of a material.
Are all waves mechanical?
No, for example, outer space doesn’t.t have much matter in it, but light waves still travel from the sun to Earth.
