Topic 4 Waves Basics

Question 1

What do waves transfer?

Answer 1

Waves transfer energy and information without transferring matter; particles only oscillate around fixed positions.

Question 2

What evidence shows that waves travel but matter does not?

Answer 2

In water waves, objects bob up and down but don’t move with the wave; in sound waves, air particles vibrate but do not travel across the room.

Question 3

What is frequency?

Answer 3

The number of waves passing a point per second, measured in hertz (Hz).

Question 4

What is wavelength?

Answer 4

The distance between two identical points on a wave, such as crest to crest.

Question 5

What is amplitude?

Answer 5

The maximum displacement of a wave from its rest position.

Question 6

What is the period of a wave?

Answer 6

The time taken for one complete wave; T = 1/f.

Question 7

What is wave velocity?

Answer 7

The speed at which a wave travels through a medium.

Question 8

What is a wavefront?

Answer 8

A line joining points on a wave that are in phase (e.g., all crests).