Physics Exam Preparation Flashcards

These flashcards cover various physics concepts and principles related to waves, sound, and light, based on the provided lecture notes.

What characteristic of a wave is responsible for what we interpret as pitch?

Frequency

Which wave cannot travel in a vacuum?

Sound wave

Sound interference is necessary to produce which phenomenon?

Beats

What is a luminous object?

An object that produces light of its own by any method

In the equation released energy = mc^2, what does 'c' represent?

Velocity of light

Why does the sky appear blue when the sun is high?

Blue light is scattered more than the other colors

What is the basic characteristic difference in light emitted from a candle, incandescent lamp, and the sun?

Temperature

When do atoms emit a photon?

If one of its electrons shifts to a quantum state of lower energy

How many protons and neutrons are in a Pb nucleus of atomic mass 206?

P=82, N=124

What properties are characteristic of light waves from a laser?

I, II, and III (narrow beam, same frequency, in step with each other)

What do you call the first note in the musical scale?

Fundamental note

How many nodes and antinodes does the fundamental frequency of a standing wave on a string have?

One node and one antinode

Which statement is false regarding wavelengths of light?

Wavelengths of visible light is greater than wavelengths of microwave

In music, which of the following is used in place of frequency?

Pitch

What is the time required for a vibrating object to complete one full cycle?

Period

The period of simple harmonic oscillation depends on everything except which?

Amplitude

What is true about the energy difference between adjacent energy levels?

It is larger for small quantum numbers

Which band of light wavelengths is too short to be seen by the human eye?

Ultraviolet

What is the annoying brightness of light sources in a person's normal field of vision called?

Direct glare

What is true about sound waves?

I, II, and III (faster in solids, faster in liquids, faster in warm air)

Why can we see under shaded areas like under a tree?

The light has undergone diffuse reflection

What does 'frequency' refer to in sound waves?

The number of cycles a vibrating object moves through in one second

What should be increased for a surface to emit photoelectrons?

Frequency

What type of lens is thicker at its edges?

Diverging lens

Energy can neither be destroyed nor created. This is the law of?

Conservation of energy

What is also known as sympathetic vibration?

Resonance

What is the difference between an echo and a reverberation?

The time interval between the original sound and the reflected sound

How is visible light produced according to the electromagnetic wave model?

When an electric charge is accelerated

What does longitudinal mechanical wave move through?

Solids, liquids, gases

How is luminous sensation evaluated?

Luminous flux

What is refraction of light?

The light wave bends

What type of energy transfer is efficient at a natural frequency?

Resonance

When can a pendulum execute simple harmonic motion?

When the arc through which it swings is not too large

What color has the shortest wavelength of light?

Violet

The polarization behavior of light is best explained by which model?

Transverse wave

What is the principle of piezoelectricity applied in?

Ultrasound equipment

How many nodes and antinodes does the fundamental frequency of a standing wave in a closed tube have?

One node and one antinode

What is Planck’s constant?

$$6.63 imes 10^{-34} ext{ J.s}$$

What is the maximum frequency the human ear can hear?

20,000 Hz

Before sunlight travels through the earth's atmosphere, it is mostly?

Visible light

What is true about simple harmonic motion?

It is a vibration with a restoring force equal and opposite to a displacement

How is lux expressed?

Lumens per square meter

What type of vibratory motion occurs with a restoring force proportional to displacement?

Simple harmonic motion

What type of image is produced if an object is farther from a converging lens than its focal point?

Inverted image

What is an octave interval?

1:2 ratio of frequencies of two pure tones

When can an observer hear a sonic boom from an airplane?

When the airplane is directly overhead

Which is a method of light propagation?

Refraction

What is the maximum frequency a human ear can hear?

20 kHz

Who first recognized the structure of electromagnetic waves?

James Clerk Maxwell

What is the standard speed of light in a vacuum?

$$3 imes 10^{8} ext{ m/s}$$

Which law relates incident and refracted angles when light enters an optically denser material?

Snell's law

What movement does a longitudinal mechanical wave cause in particles?

Back and forth in the same direction the wave is moving

Which of the following is not in SI unit?

Fahrenheit

What is lights with a single frequency called?

Monochromatic light

What is equivalent to one angstrom?

$$10^{-10} ext{ m}$$

Why did the photoelectric effect challenge the wave model of light?

The light intensity had no effect on the energy of the ejected electrons

What is the phenomenon of a short wavelength photon ejecting an electron called?

Photoelectric effect

What measures earthquake magnitude?

Richter scale

How many nodes and antinodes does the fundamental frequency of a standing wave in an open tube have?

Two nodes and one antinode

What is the Doppler effect?

The shifting effect of frequency due to changing distance between sound source and listener

Which light contains wavelengths of all colors?

White light

Which constant is also known as the Boltzmann's constant?

$$1.38 imes 10^{-23} ext{ J/K}$$

What remains unchanged when a sound wave goes from air into water?

Frequency

What type of lens is thicker at the center?

Converging lens

Which wave can only be explained by a wave model of light?

Interference

What is the audio frequency range?

20 Hz to 20,000 Hz

What does a prism do to the colors of sunlight?

Separates them into a spectrum based on their wavelength

Why doesn't light from a small pinhole create a sharp shadow?

Diffraction

Why are x-rays used to determine crystal structures?

Their wavelengths are much shorter than the atomic spacing in crystal

What is the basis of operation of a laser?

Induced emission of radiation

What is the relation of period to frequency?

They are inversely proportional

What instrument measures the intensity of a light source?

Photometer

What characteristic of photons is the same in a vacuum?

Speed

What type of image is produced if an object is near a converging lens?

Virtual image

What occurs when two waves combine to cancel each other out?

Interference

What happens to the kinetic energy of photoelectrons when light is directed at a metal surface?

It varies with the frequency of light

What is another word for harmonic?

Resonance

How can the resolving power of a lens be improved?

By increasing the diameter of the lens

What is the Universal gas constant?

$$8.314 ext{ J/mol-K}$$

Which of the following is different among physical laws?

Law of gravity

What measures the magnitude of output per watt from a light source?

Efficacy

What did Max Planck discover about energy of vibrating molecules?

Energy exists only in multiples of certain fixed amounts.

What refers to the magnitude of auditory sensation produced by sound?

Loudness

Which waves can travel in a vacuum?

Light waves

What is NOT a factor in colored patterns from white light on thin films?

Interference between incident ray and reflected ray

What does the period of the pendulum depend on?

Length

What is the extent of displacement in sound wave characteristic?

Amplitude

What are the top points of a wave called?

Crest

What movement does a transverse mechanical wave cause in particles?

Perpendicular to the direction the wave is moving

The luminous intensity of a lamp is expressed in?

Candela

Which light wavelengths are too long for the human eye?

Infrared

What happens when an object is struck at its center of oscillation?

There is no reaction force on the pivot.

What is a wave?

A traveling disturbance that carries energy.

What is the image without light rays coming from it?

Virtual image.

What is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to speed in transparent materials?

Index of refraction.

What is another term for propagation of sound?

Sonic velocity.

Sound waves are examples of which type of wave?

Longitudinal wave.