Waves/Optics Flashcards
1
Q
What is a wave?
A
a disturbance that travels through matter or space (a vacuum)
2
Q
What is a medium?
A
the matter through which the wave travels
3
Q
What are the types of waves?
A
- transverse
- compressional (longitudinal)
4
Q
What is a transverse wave?
A
- a wave where the direction of the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction of the wave
- can travel through a medium or vacuum
- example - light
5
Q
What is a compressional wave?
A
- direction of the wave is parallel to the direction of the disturbance
- can only travel through a medium
- does not travel through a vacuum
- example - sound waves
6
Q
What are the parts of a wave?
A
1 - wavelength 2 - crest 3 - trough 4 - amplitude 5 - mid-point
7
Q
What is the wavelength?
A
the distance between 2 consecutive waves, usually measured crest to crest
8
Q
What is the amplitude?
A
the height of a wave (measured from the mid-point to the crest)
9
Q
What is the crest?
A
the highest point in a wave
10
Q
What is a trough?
A
lowest point of a wave
11
Q
What is wave frequency?
A
- number of waves that pass a point in one second
- measured in Hertz (Hz)
- high frequency - low wavelength
- low frequency - large wavelength
12
Q
What is the formula for wave speed?
A
wave speed = wavelength x frequency
