AQA Physics Waves

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Transverse Wave

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A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.

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Longitudinal Wave

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A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

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Flashcards for AQA Physics GCSE 4.6.1 - Waves in air, fluids and solids

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60 Terms

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Transverse Wave

A wave for which the oscillations are perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer.

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Longitudinal Wave

A wave for which the oscillations are parallel to the direction of energy transfer.

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Examples of Transverse Waves

Electromagnetic waves and Seismic s-waves

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Examples of Longitudinal Waves

Sound waves and Seismic p-waves

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Parts of a Longitudinal Wave

Compressions and rarefactions.

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Wave's Amplitude

The maximum displacement of a point on a wave from its undisturbed position.

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Wavelength

The distance from a point on a wave to the same position on the adjacent wave, commonly peak to peak or trough to trough.

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Frequency of a Wave

The number of waves that pass a given point each second.

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Unit for Frequency

Hertz, Hz

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Frequency of 200Hz

200 waves pass a given point each second.

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Wave Speed

The speed at which the wave moves or at which energy is transferred through a medium.

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What a Wave Transfers

Energy

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Equation to Calculate Wave Speed

Wave Speed = Frequency x Wavelength; Speed (m/s), Frequency (Hz), Wavelength (m)

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Wave Bouncing off a Surface

Reflection

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How Sound Waves Travel Through a Solid

The particles in the solid vibrate and transfer kinetic energy through the material.

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Frequency Range of Human Hearing (Higher)

20 Hz - 20kHz (1kHz = 1000 Hz)

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Ultrasound Waves (Higher)

Waves which have a frequency higher than the upper limit of human hearing (20kHz).

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Example Use for Ultrasound Waves (Higher)

Medical or industrial imaging.

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Natural Event that Causes Seismic Waves (Higher)

Earthquakes; They produce both P-waves and S-waves

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Difference Between Mediums of P and S Waves (Higher)

P-waves travel through both solids and liquids, S-waves only travel through solids (not liquids)

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Technique to Detect Objects in Deep Water (Higher)

Echo sounding; High frequency sound waves are emitted, reflected and detected; Time difference between emission and detection, alongside wave speed, are used to calculate distances

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What type of spectrum do electromagnetic waves form?

A continuous spectrum

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Order the types of electromagnetic radiation from lowest to highest frequency.

● Radio waves ● Microwaves ● Infrared ● Visible Light ● Ultraviolet ● X-rays ● Gamma Rays

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How do the speeds of EM radiation differ in a vacuum and in air?

Electromagnetic waves all travel at the same speed in a vacuum and in air.

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What property of waves in different mediums causes refraction? (Higher)

●Velocity ●Wave speed is slower in denser materials, causing refraction

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In which direction (relative to the normal) do waves refract when entering a denser medium?

●They bend towards the normal ●The angle of refraction is less than the angle of incidence

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What type of waves can be produced by oscillations in an electrical circuit? (Higher)

Radio waves.

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How can radio waves create an alternating current in a circuit? (Higher)

When radio waves are absorbed, they can induce oscillations in a circuit with the same frequency as the waves themselves.

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Where do gamma rays originate from?

They originate from changes in the nuclei of atoms

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What health effects can ultraviolet waves cause?

●They can cause the skin to age prematurely ●The can increase the risk of developing skin cancer

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What health effects can X-rays and Gamma rays cause?

●They are ionising radiation so can cause mutations in genes ●They can lead to increased risk of developing various cancers

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Give three practical uses for infrared radiation.

1. Electrical heaters 2. Cooking food 3. Infrared cameras

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Give two practical uses for microwave radiation

1. Satellite communications

2. Cooking food

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Give two practical uses for radio waves.

1. Television transmission 2. Radio transmission

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What wave phenomenon is used by lenses to form an image? (Physics only)

Refraction.

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How does a convex lens form an image? (Physics only

Parallel rays of light are refracted and brought together at a point known as the principal focus

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What is meant by the focal length of a lens? (Physics only)

The distance from the lens to the principal focus.

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What is the difference between the image produced by a convex and a concave lens? (Physics only)

●Convex lenses can produce real or virtual images ●Concave lenses can only produce virtual images

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Why does magnification not have a unit? (Physics only)

● It is the ratio between image height and object height ●Ratios do not require units

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What symbol is used to represent a convex lens in a ray diagram? (Physics only)

knowt flashcard image
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What symbol is used to represent a concave lens in a ray diagram? (Physics only)

knowt flashcard image
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What determines the colour of visible light waves? (Physics only)

The wavelength and frequency of the light waves.

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What colour of visible light has the highest frequency? (Physics only)

Blue

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What colour of visible light has the largest wavelength? (Physics only)

Red

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What is meant by the term ‘specular reflection’? (Physics only)

Reflection from a smooth surface in a single direction.

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What is meant by the term ‘diffuse reflection’? (Physics only)

Reflection from a rough surface which causes scattering

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How does a red colour filter work? (Physics only)

●A red filter absorbs all wavelengths of light other than those in the red range of the spectrum

●This means only red light passes through the filter

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What determines the colour of an opaque object? (Physics only)

●Different objects reflect different wavelengths of light by different amounts ●The wavelengths that are most strongly reflected determine the colour

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What happens to the wavelengths of light that aren’t reflected by an opaque object? (Physics only)

Any wavelengths that aren’t reflected are absorbed by the object.

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What colour does an object appear if all wavelengths are reflected by equal amounts? (Physics only)

White

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What colour does an object appear if all wavelengths are absorbed? (Physics only)

Black

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What do all bodies (objects) emit and absorb?

Infrared radiation.

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What happens to the quantity of infrared radiation emitted by an object as temperature increases?

The hotter the object, the more infrared radiation it will emit

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What is a perfect black body?

An object that absorbs all of the radiation that is incident upon it.

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How much radiation does a perfect black body reflect or transmit?

None

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Why is a perfect black body the best possible emitter of radiation?

● It is a perfect absorber since it absorbs all radiation incident on it

●A perfect absorber is also a perfect emitter

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Other than the intensity of radiation emitted, how does increasing the temperature of an object affect its emissions?

The wavelength distribution of any emission is dependent on the object’s temperature.

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What can be said about the rates of emission and absorption for a body at constant temperature? (Higher)

The body is absorbing and emitting radiation at the same rate.

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What can be said about the rates of emission and absorption for a body increasing in temperature? (Higher)

The body is absorbing radiation faster than it is emitting it.

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Give two factors that affect the temperature of the Earth. (Higher)

1. The Earth’s rate of absorption and emission of radiation

2. The amount of reflection of radiation into space