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Physics KCL > Waves and Photons > Flashcards

Waves and Photons Flashcards

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1
Q

What does ‘out of phase’ mean?

A

Where 2 waves have different multiples of the wavelength

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2
Q

What does ‘in phase’ mean?

A

Where 2 waves have the same a multiple of the wavelength

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3
Q

What is the equation for a wave that is in phase?

A

N(lander)

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4
Q

What does N stand for in the equations?

A

Each full wave

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5
Q

What is path difference?

A

The distance between the lengths the waves take

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6
Q

What is the principle of superposition?

A

Where two or more waves meet, the sum of the vector of displacements that the individual waves would cause at a point

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7
Q

What is constructive superposition?

A

Where two or more waves are in phase of each other or have a radian of 0 degrees so will arrive in phase

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8
Q

What are coherent waves?

A

Waves that have the same frequency and maintain a constant phase relationship

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9
Q

What is a destructive wave?

A

Two waves that are of equal frequency but opposite phase arrive at a point

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10
Q

What is a wave front?

A

A line that connects all the waves in a line

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11
Q

How do you work out phase difference?

A

Find the path difference
Divide that by the wavelength
x the answer by 2pirad (because it’s one full wave)
that would be it’s total out of sync or in sync

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12
Q

What is the thin lens equation?

A

1/U + 1/V - 1/F

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13
Q

What does the U stand for in the thin lens equation?

A

Distance from the object to the lens

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14
Q

What does the V stand for in the thin lens equation?

A

Distance from the lens to the image

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15
Q

What does the F stand for in the thin lens equation?

A

Distance from the lens to the focal point

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16
Q

With concave lenses, what must always be true?

A

The lens will produce a virtual and upright image

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17
Q

What is the difference between a concave and convex lens?

A

A convex lens you can project the image onto a screen

Concave lens is a virtual image where the lines would appear to meet

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18
Q

What does Huygens construction describe?

A

A wave forms at a wavefront and has a spherical shape and travels at the same speed and wavelength

19
Q

What is the wavelength of the fundamental harmonic

A

2L

20
Q

Why does a pencil look bent in water?

A

The water is more dense than the air so the image doesn’t form as fast so appears to bend round the image

21
Q

What is the definition of incident?

A

Where the ray first travels from onto an object

22
Q

Define Principal axis

A

The middle axis which can’t always be seen. Centre of the lens and perpendicular to it

23
Q

Define the normal

A

Line perpendicular to the boundary

24
Q

What is a focal point?

A

Where Parallel rays meet at a point`

25
Q

What is focal length?

A

Distance between the lens and focal point

26
Q

What is the critical angle?

A

The angle at which refraction doesn’t take place and instead internal reflection does

27
Q

What does phase mean?

A

A point in the wave cycle

28
Q

Define a transverse wave

A

A wave that oscillates perpendicular to the direction of propagation/ energy transfer

29
Q

Define a longitudinal wave

A

A wave that oscillates parallel to the direction of energy transfer

30
Q

Define amplitude

A

The maximum extent of a vibration of a wave

31
Q

Define interference

A

Two waves superpose to form a resultant waves of greater less or equal amplitude

32
Q

Define phase difference

A

The position in a wave

33
Q

Define a real image

A

Where two waves meet from a lens. Can be projected on a screen

34
Q

Define a virtual image

A

Image formed from apparent divergence of waves

35
Q

Define plane polarisation

A

Restricting the vibrations of EM radiation to one direction

36
Q

Define diffraction

A

Bending of light around an object

37
Q

Define the pulse echo technique

A

Non destructive testing using ultrasound waves to detect defects in materials

38
Q

List diffraction experiments

A

Using a laser through tiny slits onto a wall and measuring the distance in between the dots produced

39
Q

What is intensity of radiation?

A

How much energy reaches an area per second

40
Q

Define path difference

A

The difference between two waves

41
Q

How do noise cancelling headphones work?

A

They produce a wave that is 180 degrees out of phase to the surrounding waves of sound so that they superpose destructively (destructive interference) to cause an overall output of 0

42
Q

What is a node?

A

A point along the wave where it has a minimum amplitude

43
Q

What is an antinode?

A

A position of maximum amplitude on a wave

Physics KCL (6 decks)

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