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Wave
a disturbance that transfers energy from one place to another without transferring matter.
Mechanical Wave
a wave that travels only through matter.
Medium
A material in which a wave travels
Transverse Wave
a wave in which the disturbance is perpendicular to the direction the wave travels.
Longitudinal Wave
a wave that causes the particles in a medium to move parallel to the direction that the wave travels.
Sound Wave
a longitudinal wave that can travel only through matter
Amplitude
the maximum distance that the wave moves from its rest position
Loudness
how you perceive the energy of a sound wave.
Wavelength
the distance from one point on a wave to the same point on the next wave
Frequency
the number of times the pattern repeats in a given time
Pitch
The perception of how high or low a sound seems
What is a wave?
A disturbance that transfers energy without transfering matter.
How does energy affect a wave?
The more energy a wave has, the more amplitude it has. For sound waves, more energy makes it louder. For light waves, more energy makes it brighter.
Reflection
the bouncing of a wave off a surface
Absorption
the transfer of energy by a wave to the medium through which it travels
Transmission
the passage of a wave through a medium.
Diffraction
the change in direction of a wave when it travels by the edge of an object or through an opening
How do waves interact with matter?
Reflection, absorption, diffraction, refraction, scattering, and transmission.
What affects how a wave travels through matter?
The medium that the wave travels through.
Speed of sound waves vs. medium in which they travel.
Sound waves travel slowest through materials like air, and slowest through materials like glass.
Light
electromagnetic radiation that you can see.
Radiant Energy
Energy carried by an electromagnetic wave
Transparent
A material that allows almost all of the light striking it to pass through, and through which objects can be seen clearly
Translucent
A material that allows most of the light that strikes it to pass through, but through which objects appear blurry
Opaque
A material through which light does not pass
How are light waves similar to and different from mechanical waves in how they travel and interact?
Light waves can travel through a vacuum, while mechanical waves cannot.
How does light reach earth?
Light waves travel as electromagnetic waves
How does light interact with matter?
Light will only be able to travel through matter if that matter is not opaque.
Law of Reflection
when a wave is reflected from a surface, the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.
Concave Mirror
A mirror that curves inward
Convex Mirror
A mirror that curves outward, like the back of a spoon
Regular Reflection
Reflection of light from a smooth, shiny surface
Diffuse Reflection
Reflection of light from a rough surface
What happens when light is reflected?
It is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object.
Refraction
The change in direction of a wave as it changes speed while moving from one medium to another
Lens
a transparent object with at least one curved side that causes light to change direction.
Convex Lens
A lens that is thicker in the middle than at the edges
Concave Lens
A lens that is thicker at the edges than in the middle
What happens when light passes through a medium other than air?
It slows down
How do lenses affect how an image is seen?
it refracts light
Why are there different colors of light?
There are different wavelengths.
Which type of wave can only travel through matter (solid, liquid, gas)?
Mechanical waves
Which type of wave does the particle disturbance travel perpendicular to the direction of the wave?
Transverse waves
Which type of wave does the particle disturbance travel parallel to the direction of the wave?
Longitudinal waves
What property of a transverse wave determines how much energy it has?
Amplitude
The energy of a longitudinal wave is located in this part of the wave.
Compressions
Waves transfer energy, but not ____ itself.
matter
If you double the amplitude of a wave, what effect does that have on its energy?
The energy would increase by a factor of 4.
How do you calculate the frequency of a wave?
Number of wavelengths/time
You are standing on a pier watching waves go by and you count 10 waves pass by in 60 seconds. What is the frequency of the waves you observed?
0.1666…, or 0.2
An echo is an example of this wave interaction.
Sound reflection
This wave interaction causes sound waves to be softened or deadened by a material.
Absorption
This wave interaction allows the energy of a wave to be passed through a medium.
Transmission
What are the two factors that influence the speed of sound waves?
Density and Temperature
The more dense a medium, the _____ the sound will travel through it.
faster
Particles move faster and collide more often as the temperature of a gas ____
increases.
Temperature has the opposite effect on liquids and solids. As liquids and solids cool, the molecules move closer together. They collide more often and transfer energy
faster
Which wave interaction allows you to hear a noise on the other side of a wall if a door or a window was left open?
Diffraction
In which material will a sound wave move quickest through?
Solid
In which air temperature will a sound wave travel the fastest?
40 C
The energy carried by an electromagnetic wave is called
radiant energy.
The energy of an electromagnetic wave is not related to its amplitude, it is related to its
frequency.
How does the type of medium affect the speed of light as it passes through it? Make sure and mention the three states of matter and empty space in your explanation.
Light fastest in vacuums, slower in solids
In which material will light waves travel the fastest in?
vacuums.
What type of material allows almost all light to pass through it?
transparent.
What type of material allows most of the light to pass through, but they appear to be blurry?
transparent.
What type of material does not allow light to pass through it?
opaque.
Which type of interaction with light allows us to see color?
Reflection
A mirror that curves inward is called a
concave mirror.
A mirror that curves outward, like the back of a spoon, is called a
convex mirror.
The change in direction of a wave as it changes speed while moving from one medium to another is called
refraction.
A ___ is a transparent object with at least one curved side that causes light to change direction.
lens
A lens that is thicker in the middle than the edges is called a ___ lens.
convex
A lens that is thicker at the edges than the middle is called a ___ lens.
concave
What are the seven colors of visible light in order of longest wavelength to shortest.
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet
Which color of light has the longest wavelength?
red
Which color of light has the highest frequency?
violet
Which characteristic or property of a wave determines its color?
wavelength
What is white light?
All visible light reflected at once
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