Physics waves basics and polarisation and superposition

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26 Terms

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Wave defintion

Transfer of energy without the transfer of matter by means of oscillation

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What can oscillate to form a wave

Matter or fields

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What is the difference between longitudinal waves and transverse waves

Transverse waves oscillate perpendicular to energy transfer, and longitudinal oscillate parallel

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Example of longitudinal waves

P-waves, sound

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Example of transverse waves

S-waves, light, string

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What are the parts of longitudinal waves

Rarefaction and compression

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How are the two ways waves can be graphed

Displacement against time or distance

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Definition of amplitude

Maximum displacement from rest value

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Definition of time period

Time for 1 complete oscillation

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Definition of frequency

How many waves pass a point in 1 second

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What is superposition

When waves overlap, the resulting wave is the sum of the overlapping waves

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What is phase difference

The difference 2 points on 2 coherent waves

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Coherence definition

Constant phase difference and same frequency

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What happens when 2 identical waves travel in opposite directions

A standing wave is formed with 2 * amplitude

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What is path difference

The difference in the distances that 2 waves travel between 2 points

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In a stationary wave, what is the phase difference

At an odd number of anti nodes away, out of phase, an even number of anti nodes away is in phase

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What is polarisation

Restriction of the oscillation of a wave into 1 plane

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Why can longitudinal waves not be polarised

Because they can only vibrate in one direction (can’t be restricted to a plane

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What direction of polarisation passes through a vertical polaroid

A vertical polarisation (opposite polarisations can’t get through the polaroid)

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How much unpolarised light gets through a polaroid

The intensity halves

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How do sunglasses use polarisation

They have a vertical polaroid, which halves the intensity of light from the sun, and eliminates the horizontally polarised light from reflections so it is easier to see

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How do we consider polarised light with microwaves

An antennas oscillating electric field forms vertically polarised light so receiving antenna must be the same direction, A vertical metal grid between the source and receiver will block (horizontal polaroid)

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What is an easy way to set up a standing wave

Reflecting a wave back on itself with a string

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What are the frequencies of a standing wave called

Resonant frequencies

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How many anti nodes are there on the nth harmonic

n+1

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What pattern does a tube with powder and a loudspeaker show

there are piles of powders equally spaced at the antnodes